Hope from the Darkness
by Amelia-Hawke
Summary: Tristan Chase is the crazy childhood friend of Commander Shepard. When she serves as Admiral Anderson's XO in Vancouver, it was only supposed to be until Shepard is reinstated but the the Reapers have a way of messing up people's plans. ME3 fic! T for violence, language and romantic implications. F!ShepxKaidan, JamesxOC
1. Earth Burning

**Just a quick note on Tristan Chase: yes, she is very similar to Sid from my other story but I like her physical appearance and the clothing choices. However, aside from the sarcasm and sense of humour, Tristan is pretty different from Sid. She is also a Black Ops Agent who was trained by the Alliance and answers directly to Admiral Hackett. Her title is 'Agent' to prevent openly acknowledging her affiliation. I have taken a bit of creative freedom with her and while she will appear to have expertise in many things, it will be because she has to in her line of work but that doesn't make her an expert at everything. She has just enough knowledge to get the job done. Think of her as an Alliance version of a Spectre but she answers to Hackett and can get into serious trouble if a mission fails.**

**A quick note on Shepard: I decided her name would be Commander Nadine Shepard but to keep with the feel of the game, everyone refers to her as Shepard, occasionally 'Nads' when appropriate. She is of the Earthborn background with the War Hero psychological background and the Infiltrator Class (originally, she was a Spacer background but I recently changed it).**

**SPOILER ALERTS: This story does contain spoilers for **_**Mass Effect**_**, **_**Mass Effect 2**_**, **_**Mass Effect 3**_** and the following DLC: Overlord, Kasumi: Stolen Memory, Arrival, Lair of the Shadow Broker, Zaeed's thing and From Ashes.**

**So, please read and review. **

**Chapter 1: Earth Burning**

The building thrummed with energy – some nervous, some excited and some anxious – and the people milled about, going about their business with frantic movements reminiscent of ants. Admiral Hackett had decided to mobilise the fleets in preparation for the inevitable Reaper invasion, even if most people still believed that it was the story told by a crazy Alliance soldier who had turned traitor by working for Cerberus after faking her death. If Tristan ever met the person who started that rumour, he or she was going to receive a fist to the face. Commander Nadine Shepard was her closest friend and perhaps one of the more normal people she knew and if she said something was going to happen then it was extremely likely that it would happen.

It was this loyalty to the Commander – or ex-Commander or whatever the military types referred to her – that got Tristan temporarily reassigned. Instead of reporting directly to Admiral Hackett, she would now report to Admiral Anderson, until he was satisfied with the _Normandy SR-2_ and successfully got Commander Shepard reinstated. Tristan already knew that Shepard was in the building, under house arrest, and had sent her a welcoming present of her favourite chocolate brownies. Beyond that, she was forbidden from contacting the Commander. Tristan's clearance was higher than most senior officers in the Alliance so the Defence Committee was worried she would leak something that Shepard shouldn't know, given their history.

But, at the moment, Tristan was too busy to worry about that. The room she was in had many Alliance soldiers – they were mostly technicians or specialists - walking about and even more computer terminals, beeping and whirring as they processed huge amounts of data. Live readings were being streamed into the terminals from any active Alliance technology and old data was being compared – such as the data they had on Sovereign and its Geth and information acquired from the _Normandy SR-2_ about the Collectors, the Collector's technology and anything to do with Harbinger. There certainly wasn't a lack of data.

A combat knife was strapped to her right thigh within easy reach and an M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol was holstered on her left hip. Her clothes were simple: tight black pants, knee-high leather boots, black fingerless gloves on both of her hands and a grey tank top. A black leather jacket, which had a layer of light armour mesh within it that would stop light gunfire, completed the outfit. It didn't provide that much protection but it allowed her to move quickly and silently. Her shields could handle the protection. And, technically speaking, she was supposed to be on shore leave anyway. Given her specialities and training, Admiral Anderson had allowed her somewhat casual attire. Her straight flaming red hair reached midway between her shoulder and her elbow in length and her fringe was cut in a straight line above her dark green eyes, and it was currently left loose. The silver chain of her dog tags could just be seen around her neck, mostly obscured by her tank top.

The dim glow of the datapad Tristan was holding illuminated the frown on her face. There was a vague image surrounded by the darkness of space. The picture was grainy and the outlines blurry. The colours were too dark to discern much. It bore a shocking resemblance to a picture Shepard had handed over when she turned herself and the _Normandy_ over to the Alliance just six months ago but it had far less clarity and definition. Somehow, the Cerberus image was much clearer – perhaps because of EDI. It vaguely reminded Tristan of those antique photographs of Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster. The Reapers were coming and they were getting close.

A young woman was standing nearby with an anxious look on her face. Tristan's authority was clear and a few of the younger recruits were terrified of her as she had a reputation of "shoot first, ask questions later". Someone had also started a rumour that she may shoot someone if she wasn't satisfied with their work. While the rumour was ridiculous, it did encourage excellent results. And it kept the idle chatter to a minimum – many were worried that Tristan would either overhear the insults directed at her or that she didn't have a sense of humour. Not that it helped much because she already knew that many called her "the Ice Queen" because of her icy demeanour.

"How old is this picture?" Tristan asked calmly.

"Four hours, ma'am," the woman replied and bit her bottom lip.

Tristan silently contemplated the picture for a few more moments and then nodded. "Thank you, you did a good job. I'll take this to the Admiral so long but see what you can do about the clarity. There might not be much time and we need all the information we can get."

The young woman smiled and saluted. "Thank you, ma'am."

Tristan headed for the door and exited into the main corridor. Soldiers were walking hurriedly in all directions and a few jostled her as she tried to pass. It was going to be hard to track down Admiral Anderson in this chaos. A particularly angry looking Marine came marching in her direction and to avoid him, she jumped back…into something very hard. It took a few moments to realise that that 'something hard' was in fact the chest of another Marine…a very tall and muscular Marine with dark hair, dark eyes and a tattoo up the side of his neck. She completely lost her train of thought and couldn't stop herself from staring – a fact that did not escape the now amused Marine's notice.

"Tris?" a voice asked in disbelief.

Tristan finally regained the use of her brain and looked over, unsurprised by the source of the voice. "Hey, Nads."

Shepard still looked pretty much the same, except her shoulder length black hair was now tied back in a ponytail instead of a regulation bun and her hazel eyes had a slight weariness to them that she tried to keep buried. Her build was a bit slimmer which was surprising but there was still a fierce determination in her posture. Apparently defeating the Collectors without losing a single crew member had not changed her. Anyone else might have come out extremely unbalanced or of the opinion that they were completely invincible.

"I thought you were posted on Arcturus?" Shepard asked.

Tristan shrugged. "Apparently it's frowned upon when you spend your downtime joyriding the experimental vehicles. Admiral Hackett has put me temporarily under Admiral Anderson's authority."

"You were joyriding?" Shepard asked, dumbfounded.

"Do you have something for me, Agent?" Admiral Anderson interrupted the reunion.

Tristan handed the datapad over as if the earlier conversation hadn't happened. "One of my technicians got this image from our long range satellites. There was too much interference to get a clear image and the satellites went offline shortly afterwards so we couldn't attempt to capture a more accurate one."

Admiral Anderson frowned and then passed the datapad to Shepard. "Can't you enhance the image?"

"That _is_ the enhanced version, Admiral," Tristan replied. "It was taken four hours ago before we lost all long range communications. The Reapers are either on their way or will be soon. We don't have much time either way. I have the technicians working to improve the image but I figured it was important to get this to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Chase," Anderson replied and they started to walk again. "I think you should join us in the meeting. The Defence Committee would appreciate your input, given the research you've been doing lately. And they won't be able to hide behind a lack of evidence this time."

"Of course, Admiral, but you know I don't like politicians. They're so full of bullshit."

Shepard scoffed. "Then you would make a perfect politician."

Tristan smirked, as did the other Marine but it was the Admiral that answered. "As long as you keep your pistol holstered we shouldn't have any problems."

"Fair enough," she allowed and dodged around another soldier and fell back a few paces, so she ended up walking beside the Marine.

"Lieutenant James Vega," the man introduced and held out a hand.

She took his hand and shook it. "Agent Tristan Chase."

They arrived in the waiting area just before the Defence Committee chambers and while Anderson went over to speak to another woman, a receptionist perhaps, Shepard turned to speak with James. Neither of them seemed annoyed by her proximity so Tristan remained where she was standing, absently observing the room. Another man entered the room from the direction of the Committee chambers. He was also tall with black hair and warm brown eyes. He was easily recognizable from the photo Shepard had kept in her quarters after Horizon: Major Kaidan Alenko. Or, as Tristan knew him: Kaidan "the man who broke Shepard's heart and called her a traitor" Alenko. Even though it was a mouthful, it pretty much summed everything up.

Even though Shepard and Tristan had not shared a posting in years, they kept in contact and spoke often, whether via email, video chats or voice chats, depending on their current assignments. She knew more about Shepard's missions than the reports did and almost always offered her reassurances when the other crew members failed, like the miserable video chat they had after Horizon where Shepard started to question everything she was doing and the depressing voice chat after the instance in Batarian space – Tristan suspected it had actually been a drunk dial. Somehow she managed to get through to the distressed Commander and had calmed her down.

If it wasn't for the fact that Shepard still had strong feelings for the Major, Tristan wouldn't have hesitated to slam him biotically against the wall…or at the very least, punch him. Violence may not always be the answer but sometimes it just helped one to feel much better. Instead of involving herself, Tristan watched as Shepard and Kaidan spoke a bit to make sure Major Alenko didn't say anything to hurt Shepard again. James took a step forward so they were standing side by side again.

"How do you know the Commander?" he asked.

Tristan smiled. "We've been partners in crime since we were kids. We grew up on Earth and met by accident. My brother and I didn't know our parents and neither did she so we decided to look out for each other. It was the only way any of us would have survived. The life wasn't easy so we grew very close and she's pretty much like a sister to me. When she first enlisted in the Alliance, she helped get us out of the life of crime we were living."

"They're ready for you, Admiral," the woman informed them.

Tristan nodded in farewell to James and followed Admiral Anderson and Shepard, noticing the shared glance between Shepard and Kaidan. Perhaps there was some small glimmer of hope. As Tristan passed, she gave the Major a warning look which surprised and confused the man. It was a good enough reaction considering they had only met once before. The room they entered had only a few people inside and there were a few monitors scattered around, mostly attached to the walls. The members of the Committee were seated behind a large table that was slightly raised above everything else so they could look down on whoever entered.

The officers didn't seem surprised to see her there. Even so, she decided that it would be best if she remained in the back, close to the door, with her hands clasped behind her back and her posture stiff. Unless Admiral Anderson wanted her to say something, she would remain quiet. Apparently, the technicians had other ideas. A red flashing red light appeared on her omni-tool, indicating a new message and her earpiece crackled with soft static.

"_Agent Chase, I just forwarded another version of the image to you. We're still working on it however it's important that you look at it now,"_ the technician told her.

Curious, Tristan brought up the new image and raised an eyebrow. What had originally been assumed to be just a handful of outlines indicating a couple of Reapers had actually been just the closest Reapers. There was still heavy interference on the image and many outlines were still fuzzy, fusing the dark shapes with the surrounding space, but even so it did not bode well. In this one single image, there must have been a hundred of them, all descending towards Earth with a single mission in mind.

Tristan placed a finger to her earpiece and turned to face the door so she could speak softly. "Has there been any word from the Fifth Fleet? If this is the beginning of the invasion then we should have heard something by now."

"_I'm sorry, ma'am, we have been unable to contact Admiral Hackett. He's out of range of our short distance communications,"_ the technician replied.

Tristan was afraid of that. "What about our scanners? Have they picked anything up?"

"_No, ma'am. There's heavy interference that has been slowly increasing over the past day. The scanners are barely picking up planets in our own solar system as things stand,"_ was the grim reply.

Tristan sighed softly. "Thanks for the update. Get some of the technicians to focus on the interference on our scanners, see if there's some way to counter it and keep trying to raise the Fifth Fleet. Notify me immediately if anything changes."

"_Yes, ma'am."_

As she turned to face the room again, she caught mentions that contact had been lost with Luna Base and then UK Headquarters had a visual. Everyone turned to watch a large monitor as it flickered to life. Chaos, destruction, death…the Reapers had arrived. Tristan wanted to yell at those gathered who gasped in surprise – it wasn't like they didn't have fair warning of what was coming. They had two and a half years to prepare and they chose to do nothing instead.

"I think that is the _biggest_ 'I told you so' _ever_," she commented dryly, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Shepard shot her a look while Anderson seemed to admire her for saying so in front of some of the most powerful people in the Alliance. In response, she shrugged at Shepard in a well-it's-true manner. Any responses from the Committee were cut off by a loud humming noise just outside the tall building. A bright red beam appeared outside the expansive windows and Shepard's shout to "Move!" was cut off by a large explosion. The glass windows shattered, sending shards everywhere and may have killed one or two people. The large table was sent flying across the room, narrowly missing Shepard. Tristan hit the floor and created a low biotic barrier around herself to avoid any injuries. The table bounced off the barrier before hitting the wall and splintering.

Tristan sat up and peered around the room. It was a complete mess and most of the computers and monitors had been destroyed too. After a few moments, Shepard got to her feet. A second explosion followed and Tristan curled up in the foetal position with her hands over her head as the shockwave followed. Fortunately, no tables went flying across the room this time. Unfortunately, Shepard took over that particular duty and was slammed into the wall near the door. Tristan got to her feet and ran to Shepard, who was lying flat on her back, barely conscious, and covered in a layer of dust and ash.

"Shepard? Chase?" the Admiral shouted from across the room.

"I'm fine," Tristan replied as the Admiral saw them behind a large pile of debris. "Shepard is a bit dazed though!"

At the mention of her name, Shepard seemed to shake it off and Tristan helped her to her feet while the Admiral set about trying to raise someone on the radio channels. Judging by his impatient responses, it wasn't going well. Everyone else in the room was dead or soon would be so while Shepard went about checking injuries, Tristan remained where she was standing and crossed her arms in front of her chest. They had no medi-gel on them so even if someone was alive; they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. But Shepard's conscience demanded that she do something. When the Admiral had established contact with Major Alenko, he threw an M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol to Shepard and they walked towards the broken window. When Tristan didn't follow, they looked to her in confusion.

"I need to go back and see if any of the research survived," she explained. "My technicians were working on a lot of different projects and even if nothing solid turned up, it could still be useful later."

"We don't know what's out there," Shepard argued.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "This is a guess but I suspect Reapers."

"You think _now_ is a good time to joke?"

"I think now is a perfect time," Tristan answered and smiled gently. "Nads, we've been through thick and thin together. You've always had my back, no matter what. Why would I abandon you now? I'll catch up, I promise."

Shepard hesitated while Admiral Anderson showed his approval with a stiff nod. The research, assuming it survived, would be invaluable and it was a good tactical move.

"Don't worry so much," Tristan added. "I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

Shepard cracked a smile. "That's what I'm afraid of. Be careful."

"You too. Admiral."

Tristan popped off a quick salute before ducking back into the chaos. Burning rubble was lying everywhere and the majority of the personnel had either been killed by the force of the explosion or crushed by the debris. The hallways themselves were eerily quiet but the sounds of battle outside echoed in the emptiness. A few lights flickered now and then before giving up. The room she and the technicians had been working in was a mess though a few consoles were working enough to download some files. The technicians were dead or had managed to escape the destruction. Tristan approached the closest terminal and activated her omni-tool to begin the download.

Soft moans began to echo in the hallway outside. Based on the varying volume to account for the echoes and distance, there were maybe four…things approaching. According to the reports from Eden Prime, Shepard's reports from her mission against the Collector Base and a few instances dotted around the galaxy, it was likely that they were husks. Fantastic. The omni-tool beeped to signify that the download was complete and Tristan moved onto the next terminal. Apparently the noise of the beep travelled and the door behind Tristan was kicked open. In a matter of seconds, she had her pistol in hand and unloaded three shots into each head of the husks without even moving. As she watched the last husk collapse to the floor, she lowered her arm so her pistol was relaxed against her thigh and then refocused on her omni-tool.

Once she finished downloading the remaining two terminals, she exited the building at a fast walk and brought up her omni-tool, typing in a command.

"Admiral Anderson, do you read me?" she asked.

A brief second of static. _"Barely, Agent Chase."_ A few moments of gunfire. _"We're by the water, near a downed gunship. We're under heavy fire and could use some help."_

Tristan stopped by a window and looked around, trying to gain her bearings. There was so much destruction in such a short span of time that the city of Vancouver was barely recognizable. The tail of a gunship was just sticking out, surrounded by water and a lot of debris.

"I can see the gunship, I'm on my way."

"_You better be,"_ Shepard ordered.

Tristan grinned but did not reply. This window still had its glass so Tristan took a step back and fired the remaining two shots from her clip into the glass. As she jumped over the sill, she reloaded in a swift movement. The wind was stronger than she first realised and her hair whipped around her face, obscuring her vision temporarily. The debris had created long slants and the gaps between buildings were small, relatively speaking. She could make them. After a moment, Tristan ran towards the edge of the level footing and jumped so she was halfway down the slant. The momentum she had built up carried her so she was sliding down its length on her boots. At the last possible second, she jumped over the gap and landed on the next roof.

She continued in this manner, ignoring the husks that lunged out at her, until she found some debris floating near the water's edge. A makeshift bridge had been formed to connect to the debris with the downed gunship and there were two soldiers crouched behind cover nearby. One appeared to be severely injured while the other soldier was attempting to tend to his wounds. Tristan gracefully jumped down and attracted their attention the moment her feet touched the floor.

"Anderson and Shepard?" she called.

The uninjured soldier looked up and pointed over to the debris where there was gunfire. She ran across the makeshift bridge, grabbing some discarded ammo clips that were lying on the floor as she went and soon stumbled upon Shepard and Anderson, crouched low behind some sort of vent with some strange looking things firing at them. Tristan rolled over to some nearby cover, popped up again and fired three shots at the closest head before ducking again.

"What took you so long?" Shepard demanded through clenched teeth and fired at the closest ugly thing.

Tristan peeked over her cover and received some bullets for her trouble. "I stopped for coffee!"

Shepard did not respond to that, rather choosing to roll her eyes. It definitely took some time and patience to work with Tristan however her skills were unmatched which was why Hackett and Anderson were willing to put up with her. Shepard leant around her cover and sabotaged their weapons. Tristan used this distraction to stand up and once again fire three shots at their heads. In the span of a few seconds, she was able to kill the remaining four and they moved on to the next cover, gaining valuable ground. The radio from the downed gunship was a few meters away but the ugly things were determined to keep them away.

While Tristan reloaded her clip, she casually flicked a Warp over their cover and even though it was supposed to be used for shields, it was still damn effective at killing things. Shepard followed the Warp with an Incinerate and then used Sabotage again. Tristan peeked over her cover again and enveloped one in blue biotic energy and then slammed it against four of its allies like a hideous wrecking ball, knocking them all into a large piece of metallic debris. It wasn't hard enough to kill any of them however it was enough to daze them. It was easy to pick them off as they staggered around for a few moments.

With the last of them killed, Anderson led the way to the radio. It was surprising that it still worked after the gunship took a nasty looking nosedive. Shepard found a discarded M-8 Assault Rifle and once she was confident it was working, she and Tristan stood side by side to make sure nothing tried to sneak up from behind. An explosion sounded in the background and an Alliance shuttle sped by overhead, chased by what looked to be small rockets. Anderson managed to make contact with the _Normandy SR-2_ and tried to activate the distress beacon. It failed, at first, probably after sustaining some damage after crashing.

"Let me take a look," Shepard offered and went to investigate.

Tristan remained where she was and continued to keep a sharp lookout, resisting the urge to call Shepard a nerd. Suddenly, she was very glad that all of her gear and personal belongings were already aboard the _Normandy_. There was a perk to being the second in command to the man overseeing the upgrades and retrofitting of the Alliance's newest addition to the fleet. Her hair continued to whip around her in the light breeze and her leather jacket had a layer of dust and grime on it. The soles of her boots were covered in dust, grime, blood and whatever the husks were made of. Those definitely needed a scrub.

"Ha! It's working," Shepard interrupted her musings.

"Let's hope the _Normandy _gets here soon," Anderson replied.

Small balls of fire flying across the sky caught Tristan's eyes. "We have company!" she warned and they all dove behind cover as one of the large flaming balls exploded just ahead of them.

Shepard started off things by sabotaging their weapons and Tristan enveloped one of the bulgy things that was trying to flank Anderson in blue energy. Instead of tossing it aside, she slammed it into the floor with all the force she could muster. It twitched for a second and then didn't move again. A second approached its fallen comrade and started to do something weird.

"Now that's just plain nasty," Tristan commented in disgust. These things were cannibals.

Shepard peered over her cover and shot it. "Don't you think it would be useful to shoot it instead of watching it?"

Tristan rolled her eyes and sent a Warp at another approaching cannibal, following it up with a shot between the eyes.

"I'm out," Anderson said in irritation.

Tristan reached into the pocket of her leather jacket and pulled out a spare clip, tossing it to Anderson. They continued to fire but more just kept coming. It didn't take much longer for Tristan's small collection of spare clips to run dry. Anderson had already run out of ammo while Shepard's assault rifle was dry. She and Tristan were both on their pistol's last clip. Things were not looking good. There was only so much Tristan could do with her biotics.

"_The cavalry has arrived!"_ a voice said over the radio.

Explosions quickly followed and decimated the cannibals. The _Normandy SR-2_ hovered into view and went over to a piece of debris that could act like a runway of sorts. Major Alenko and another Marine had opened suppressive fire while Tristan, Shepard and Anderson ran for it. Tristan hung back a few paces and slowed her jog when she saw a cannibal approaching them that the others had yet to notice. With her left hand, she pulled out her combat knife and enveloped it in biotic energy. Using her biotics, she sent the knife flying at the cannibal with enough force to send it to the ground before pulling it out again and returning the knife to her hand and returning it to its sheath.

She continued her sprint up the runway as though nothing had happened. Shepard had already jumped across while Anderson was talking to her. He didn't react when Tristan jumped past him and onto the _Normandy_ although Major Alenko didn't seem to know how to react, especially after the look he received. Anderson tossed Shepard her dog tags and she caught them effortlessly, if a bit surprised.

"And Agent Chase?" Anderson called.

Tristan smiled. "Yes, Admiral?"

"Keep the Commander safe. We're counting on both of you to bring the fight back to Earth!"

Tristan saluted the Admiral. "Yes, sir!"

The _Normandy_ slowly pulled away and Alliance shuttles descended nearby to pick up a few civilians. A small child in a grey hoodie looked up and Tristan noticed Shepard freeze, her eyes fixed on the young boy. The child clambered into the shuttle and it took off. Shepard visibly relaxed until a nearby Destroyer decimated the two shuttles. Shepard looked away before looking forward again. Major Alenko had already disappeared so Tristan placed a reassuring hand on Shepard's shoulder.

"I know it's not easy, Nads, but we'll come back and teach the Reapers a thing or two about destruction," she said with a small smile.

Shepard responded with a ghost of a smile and they both turned around to walk into the Shuttle Bay while the _Normandy_ evaded the Reapers.

Tristan's office was in the Shuttle Bay. It was an unusual place for an office but Tristan's work depended on secrecy and occasionally isolation, both of which could be found down below where the chances were slim that someone would overhear something they shouldn't. It had been converted from a large storage room that Cerberus used for supplies so it was spacious. And as she wasn't a soldier, her office was better equipped than what was expected for Alliance Officers. There was a double bed against the far wall, a closet for her clothing and hardsuit, a desk for writing reports, a second desk with a computer terminal and one wall had a large monitor for video calls. A couch and low coffee table were also squeezed in.

When Tristan entered the room, her eyes immediately fell on a small package sitting on the empty desk. It was covered in brown paper and a label had been stuck on: _Tristan Chase, Executive Officer Quarters, _Normandy SR-2. It was a care package from home, most likely delivered a few days ago while she had been spending her time in the Alliance building. Her fingers hovered over the package and she was about to open it when there was yelling coming from outside. Reluctantly, Tristan turned around again and exited her quarters, not before grabbing a hairband and tying her slightly dusty hair into a quick ponytail.

Major Alenko was standing nearby, examining his assault rifle and he too looked up. Shepard and James were arguing, presumably about leaving Earth and leaving Anderson behind.

"Enough," Shepard cut off James' next argument. "Don't you think I would rather stay here and fight? We're going to the Citadel. If you don't like it then you can catch a ride back from there!"

James didn't argue back, it was an excellent point. Not even dying could keep Commander Shepard out of the fight. The thought brought a small smile to Tristan's features. She glanced up again. James and Shepard were still staring at each other, willing the other to blink in an act of surrender, while Major Alenko still hovered back, unsure of how – or if – he should intervene. Tristan walked over and used her hands to force the two apart.

"No one here likes the situation, Lieutenant," Tristan interjected calmly. "But we need to stand together and keep a cool head."

James took a step back while Shepard looked at Tristan in shock. It wasn't every day something smart and reassuring came out of Tristan's mouth.

"_Commander?"_

Shepard's look of shock turned to confusion and then recognition at the voice over the radio. It was rather comical to watch. "Joker?" she asked in disbelief. "Is that you?"

"_Alive and kicking,"_ the helmsman replied. _"I have an emergency transmission from Admiral Hackett."_

That titbit of information certainly had an effect: James stopped mid step while walking away to look over his shoulder, Major Alenko got to his feet and walked over and Tristan stood behind Shepard, peering over her shoulder to see the monitor.

"Patch it through, Joker," Shepard ordered.

The terminal lit up and Admiral Hackett's face appeared. He looked angry. At least he was alive and obviously still fighting. That was good to know. The interference was still strong and it was hard to hear everything he said, especially when a few words were cut off entirely. It was easy to get the gist of the conversation though: Earth was suffering and it would only get worse without help, they needed to take a detour to the Prothean Archives on Mars because they lost contact and Dr T'Soni was there researching the Protheans and possibly had found a way to destroy the Reapers. Intriguing. The call was ended and static filled the silence.

"Joker, set a course for the Mars Archives," Shepard ordered.

"Mars?" Major Alenko asked, visibly confused.

"Yeah," Tristan answered. "You know, the red planet? Fourth planet from the sun? Has the Prothean Archives?"

She sighed when she received a withering look from Shepard and a second – although marginally less potent – similar look from the Major. Fun times.

Shepard reached over to the table next to the console and grabbed a piece of her N7 armour, staring at it as though she couldn't believe she was holding it. "Grab your gear."

"This was _so_ not what I had planned for shore leave," Tristan commented, shaking her head and walked back towards her quarters.


	2. Mars

**After the positive feedback I received, I figured Chapter 2 would be appreciated. Thank you to buble95 and Shenkoshipper for the reviews.**

**And then (before I forget this), I know N7 is for Special Forces and there is a codex entry that mentions all the letters in the alphabet are used but because I couldn't find a list of what the other letters could stand for, I created my own. Tristan Chase is a B7 Graduate. Originally, it was going to be for covert ops but I decided Black Ops works better.**

**Please read and review. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Mars**

The shuttle jerked violently as it made its way towards the surface of Mars. Lieutenant Vega was piloting and Shepard was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder and they were talking about…well, it was hard to tell with all the ambient noise but presumably about Mars. Tristan sat in the back of the shuttle, opposite Major Alenko, in her hardsuit. It was almost identical to Shepard's N7 armour, except for a few minor differences. The material was made from a lighter, more flexible armour mesh so Tristan could move around more freely and quietly while still being protected. The white N7 badge was replaced with a light grey B7 instead. Tristan's armour was completely black; there were no red and white stripes whatsoever. Her helmet was on the seat beside her and she was resting her arm on top of it.

Her green eyes were currently closed and her hair tied back in a bun to make it easier to put the helmet on. The gear was pretty much identical, except she now had an M-92 Mantis Sniper Rifle on her back and an M-4 Shuriken submachine gun on her right hip. No one knew what to expect so it was just safe to be prepared for anything. The shuttle jerked again and Tristan opened her eyes to see Major Alenko watching her with an annoyed expression. Apparently he had made up his mind on how to react to her presence.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked and absently tapped her fingers on the front of her helmet.

"I get the impression you don't like me," he answered evenly.

Tristan shrugged. "Maybe that's because I don't," she answered simply.

"And why is that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You obviously haven't connected the dots, Major, so I'm going to help you out. I'm Tristan Chase. Shepard's best friend since childhood? We're so close we're practically sisters?"

Major Alenko's face lit up in recognition and then he frowned. "You're that Tristan?"

"I am," she answered and she leant forward in her seat so the Major could hear her clearly without needing to raise her voice. "Let me make this as crystal clear as possible: Shepard has had my back no matter what ridiculous stunt I pulled, no matter what sort of trouble I got us both into. She was there when I lost my brother and she's helped me whenever I needed her. She is the only friend I have so, if you _ever_ break her heart a second time…well, I know how to kill someone and make it look like an accident, assuming the body is ever found."

Her words had the desired effect when both of his eyebrows shot up although he recovered quickly. "Don't you think you should be more professional about it, rather than threatening an Alliance Officer?"

Tristan scoffed. "I _am_ being professional. Usually, I just shoot the people I don't like."

Major Alenko didn't approve of that answer. "And what makes you think there is the possibility of a second time?"

"Because I saw the way you both looked at each other back on Earth. I know Shepard is still in love with you, that's the only reason why I haven't punched you yet for what you said on Horizon. You still deeply care for her whether you want to admit it or not. What I don't understand is why you haven't done anything about it," Tristan answered, surprisingly serious.

"I really don't think that's any of your business." He clearly had not expected her to know about Horizon.

She shrugged and leant back in her seat. "If it involves Shepard, it is my business unless she tells me otherwise. My guess is that whatever emotions you're hiding from – fear, anger, guilt – are directed at yourself and not Shepard but you're just too stubborn to see it."

Luckily, Shepard chose to return just then, effectively cutting off any reply he had. She looked in confusion from Major Alenko's anger to Tristan's contemplative expression. Usually she would have just chalked it up to Tristan being Tristan however there was no humour anywhere and Tristan was not smirking. Rather than asking questions, Shepard put on her helmet as the shuttle neared the landing zone. Alenko, Tristan and James followed suit. When the shuttle landed, Shepard exited first, followed by Alenko, Tristan and then James. While the boys discussed the incoming dust storm and Shepard got her bearings, Tristan brought up her omni-tool and tapped it a few times. It was picking up a weak signal from a radio, non-Alliance, broadcasting locally and not off-planet. It could be nothing…

"Commander," Tristan said, turning professional now that Shepard was in charge and they were in the field. "I'm picking up a weak signal from an unknown source. With your permission, I'd like to investigate."

Shepard nodded once. "Granted, Agent. Just make sure to stay in radio contact."

"Aye, aye, Commander."

There was a higher rock outcropping on their left near the solar panels and the landing zone that angled away from the facility. In a lithe movement, Tristan pulled herself up and started to jog slowly in the direction of the signal, planning her movements carefully so she could move quickly yet quietly. Her omni-tool wasn't reporting that the signal was getting stronger which meant it was possible they were trying to hide their presence. Perhaps whoever this radio signal belonged to was responsible for the facility going dark. Her radio was still picking up on some conversation from Shepard, Alenko and James – something about a dead Alliance soldier. Interesting. Tristan picked up the pace and her omni-tool pinged, informing her that she was getting close to the source. Suddenly, there was some idle chatter nearby followed by a single gunshot.

Tristan immediately hit the floor and crawled on her stomach until she reached the edge of the outcropping once she was sure the gunshot hadn't been directed at her. About five soldiers were standing there in full gear, executing Alliance soldiers. The orange insignia on their white and black armour glared up at Tristan, mocking and taunting her: Cerberus. The anger inside her welled up and she had to fight to keep it under control. Cerberus corrupted everything it touched, even Shepard to a certain degree. Her psychological problems and the nightmares had not been there before she had died. And while she was grateful to have her best friend back, throwing Shepard straight into the deep end once she woke up without a second thought to how it would affect her was definitely not a reassuring decision.

Tristan jumped slightly when the others started to talk and she glanced to the side. Shepard, Alenko and James had just ducked behind some cover further up the path that led to the facility without attracting any attention.

"_Tristan, see what you can do about those soldiers but do it quietly. We don't know how many are here and I'd rather like to keep the element of surprise on our side,"_ Shepard ordered softly.

Tristan didn't reply to her orders as it was unnecessary, Shepard knew she would do what she was ordered. Instead, she crawled a small distance to the left so she was behind the Cerberus soldiers and silently climbed down from the rock outcropping, using slow and carful movements so no small rocks were accidently kicked. So far so good. Once both her feet were firmly on the ground, Tristan took a moment to memorise the Cerberus soldiers' locations in relation to her own and then took a deep breath to calm her earlier anger. This part of the job was what she was best at.

The nearest Cerberus soldier was grabbed from behind, one hand on both sides of his helmet. In a single, sharp movement, Tristan twisted and broke the man's neck before he even knew what was happening. As the now dead man collapsed to the floor, Tristan drew her knife. The body made a soft thump as it landed which caught the attention of the other soldiers. The first one had his back turned to his now dead comrade and he got his oxygen supply line severed with a single, swift movement. Tristan spun around on the spot and drove the blade of her knife into the chest of the next closest soldier.

As she drew it out, another soldier pointed his gun at her. Before he could pull the trigger, he was biotically slammed into a nearby rock with enough force to kill him. Tristan then biotically threw her knife at the other soldier, forcing the blade to go through his armour and into his neck. As the suffocating soldier continued to stumble around in a panic, she drew her pistol and fired a single shot into the back of his head. Tristan calmly walked over to the one body and retrieved her knife.

Once she had finished cleaning the blood off of it, the others caught up and were regarding her handiwork. Whether they were impressed or wary, she could not tell nor did she really care. With only a single gunshot fired, any other personnel in the area would likely think it was someone continuing with the executions of the Mars Archives personnel. Their presence was still undetected. Rather than commenting on anything, Tristan sheathed her knife and holstered her pistol, bringing up her omni-tool. Now that she was pretty close to the radios, it was easier to pick up and identify the signature of the signal. If the dust storm wasn't brewing, she would have contacted EDI and forwarded the signature for analysis.

"My omni-tool is picking up more signals nearby that are identical to theirs," Tristan informed them and kicked the boot of the nearest body to indicate who she meant.

"How many?" Shepard asked, vaguely distracted by the cold demeanour.

"The signal's weak because they're purposefully blocking their own signals to stay hidden so it's hard to say," Tristan answered.

Shepard was silent for a moment. "Best guess?"

"More than one," Tristan answered and then closely scrutinized the omni-tool's display. "Less than ten." If she had more training with communications devices or signal isolation, she might have been able to be more accurate.

Shepard nodded once and they moved on, keeping the chatter to a minimum now that they knew they were not alone. While Alenko and James prepared their M-8 Avenger assault rifles and Shepard her M-23 Katana shotgun, Tristan preferred to walk with her pistol in her right hand and her knife in her left hand. At least she would be prepared for anything. They quietly rounded the corner and found a few Cerberus vehicles and more Cerberus soldiers. As surprise wasn't exactly on their side this time, they were forced to dive behind cover and return fire. Tristan wound up sharing cover with James. Surprisingly enough, this gave her an advantage: the soldiers regarded the huge Marine as more of a threat than the petite girl next to him, especially as he had a bigger gun. As James started to fire rapidly at one soldier forcing him to seek out cover, Tristan raised her left hand and sent a Warp his way. He panicked as his armour was severely damaged and stood up, allowing James the opportunity to deliver the kill shot.

Another Cerberus soldier used one of the heavy vehicles for cover. As James was still regarded as the main threat, Tristan allowed herself to fall onto her left side on the ground so she was perpendicular to her cover and opted for her heavy pistol instead. The soldier's boots were clearly visible so she raised her right hand and fired a couple of shots at the back of his legs. The man collapsed to the ground in pain and panic, lining up the perfect headshot which Tristan didn't waste. A soldier that was still behind cover realised that Tristan was in his line of fire and he didn't even need to move. As he pointed his gun at her, he was enveloped in blue energy and slammed into the rock he was using for cover. It didn't kill him however he did unconsciously stagger into the open where Shepard fired her shotgun.

Tristan pulled herself back up behind cover but didn't stay still for long. She crouched low as she approached the closest vehicle and went around it out of the soldiers' line of sight. She peeked around the side and could see another two soldiers. One leaned out of his cover to fire on the three Marines. Before Tristan could make a move, the soldier was shot and went down. The last soldier was terrified as he fumbled with his gun and glanced around nervously, eyes momentarily focused on his dead comrade as he realised he was the last man standing. Tristan lined up her pistol and took the shot.

"All clear, Commander," she said over the radio.

They all emerged from cover and started to walk towards the airlock, discussing Cerberus and how they managed to infiltrate the Archives. They were all in agreement that it had been an inside job: it had all of the signs. A small force was able to overwhelm the facility and trained Alliance personnel. No alarms were triggered and no distress signals were sent out. The Alliance personnel were being executed in cold blood without an opportunity to return fire so it had been unexpected and they were unprepared for such an attack. The Cerberus forces brought only what was necessary and nothing more. And before Shepard's arrival, the dead Alliance far outnumbered the dead Cerberus personnel.

Tristan kept her thoughts on the matter to herself. These thoughts would likely include a lot of swearing though this was not the reason why she kept quiet. Shepard already knew exactly how she felt about the terrorist organisation and with her current level of anger that was boiling just beneath the calm exterior; she felt it was better not to comment. It was also annoying to hear that Alenko still suspected Shepard of working for Cerberus. At least James was smart enough to know that when Shepard had told the Illusive Man where he could stick Cerberus after blowing up the Collector Base, she had _really_ meant it.

James was far more likeable than Alenko at the moment. They approached the airlock and Shepard activated the controls. While the room was pressurized, Alenko insisted on knowing where Shepard's loyalties really belonged. Tristan and James stood side by side, feeling a bit awkward and even shared a look to see if the other felt as awkward. Even though Alenko made a point to say it was professional, it certainly was not. It was also nice to see James come to the rescue too, although Tristan had always imagined she would be the one under house arrest and not Shepard.

The room was eventually pressurized and they all removed their helmets. Alenko was still not convinced with Shepard's answers. Tristan had had enough of that.

"Will you just give it a rest already? Commander Shepard handed _everything_ over to the Alliance, including the _Normandy_ and herself, even with an unshackled AI. Cerberus would never willingly allow her to do that if she still worked with them," Tristan snapped irritably.

"You don't know what sort of experiments Cerberus did," Alenko argued back angrily.

Shepard looked to Tristan with a look of concern that the others noticed. She was about to intervene on the argument but Tristan shook her head to stop her. She needed to vent some of her anger and now was perhaps the first opportunity she would get for a while.

"I know _exactly_ what Cerberus is capable of, Alenko," Tristan replied angrily, resisting the urge to march up to him and poke him in the chest. "I read the reports of what happened to Admiral Kahoku. Every other mission I'm sent in to investigate some suspicious facility that's gone dark or colonists go missing because Cerberus decides to torture humans or aliens in their quest for dominance. I know better than most what Cerberus is capable of considering my brother died on Akuze. And then I learnt that it wasn't some accident; that it had been _murder_ because _Cerberus_ decided it would be fun to experiment with Thresher Maws. So don't tell me what you _think_ they're capable of, I already know."

Silence followed as no one really knew how to respond to that although Shepard did look to the floor. Tristan realised she still felt guilty for working with Cerberus, especially considering Tristan's brother had been like a brother to her too. Anything Tristan thought up to ease Shepard's guilt was cut off when there was some banging in the vents. Following Shepard's quick hand signal, they all ducked behind cover. If it was an ambush then it was probably the worst ambush ever in the history of bad ambushes. Still, it never hurt to be prepared. There was some more banging and a few gunshots.

"I'd guess three," Tristan whispered. The others looked at her in confusion so she shrugged. "I've spent a lot of time crawling around in vents."

As Shepard had the only clear line of sight to the vent, the others could only listen and wait for a signal. There was some more banging and a few more gunshots that sounded as if they ricocheted inside the vent, missing their target. A louder noise followed – presumably the vent cover being kicked off – and then the soft sound of someone dropping down from the vent. A strange sensation followed and Tristan realised someone used biotics close by, presumably a singularity based on the strength of the sensation and a pretty powerful one at that, most likely from an Asari. A few shots followed and then silence. Shepard got up calmly and walked forward, before grabbing James' gun to stop him from opening fire.

"She's with us," Shepard explained to James before heading forward.

Tristan hung back as Dr T'Soni greeted both Shepard and Kaidan. As a rule, she kept her guard up around most aliens, mostly Asari. Tristan certainly wasn't xenophobic but there was something about an entire race of female Biotics that kept her cautious. That and the fact that Asari always seemed fascinated with humans and not in a good way. Then Dr T'Soni looked past Shepard and Kaidan.

"Agent Chase, I never got the opportunity to thank you for vouching on my behalf with Admiral Hackett and the Alliance."

"Any friend of Shepard's is a friend of mine, Dr T'Soni," Tristan answered with a polite smile, even if she wasn't really in the mood to be polite.

Liara was momentarily confused by the idea. Apparently Asari didn't share the notion. A few moments of awkward silence passed before Liara explained what she had been doing. Tristan was only half listening to the conversation as she investigated the room and noticed the nearby sabotaged elevator. The bits and pieces she heard sounded…weird: after knowing about the Prothean Archives on Mars, they only recently discovered plans for a large device that may help to destroy the Reapers. It certainly sounded too good to be true. Even though their reputations were built on long shots, even this seemed impossible.

Tristan's musings and distant inspection of the elevator were interrupted when her omni-tool pinged. The room was silent enough that everyone heard it and they looked to her for an answer. She tapped it a few times and looked at the display, ignoring the curious looks. The omni-tool was picking up more radio signals.

"We've got more Cerberus incoming," Tristan announced.

While Dr T'Soni and Alenko took cover, Shepard ordered James to return to the shuttle and activated the airlock. Shepard soon joined Tristan behind her cover just as the Cerberus soldiers started to fire from the floor above. Their height and the reinforced glass of the railings gave them the advantage, even with Dr T'Soni's powerful singularities. Rather than returning fire, Tristan leant against her cover and started to look around to find some way to even the odds a bit. They were pinned down and outnumbered – never a good combination. Then her eyes fell on Shepard's sticky grenades. Shepard noticed the look and shook her head.

"They'll shoot me if I leave cover and try to throw one," she argued.

Tristan smiled slightly. "Do you trust me?" A suspicious look was her answer – the last time Tristan asked this question, they were nearly arrested. "I'll put up a barrier while you stand behind me and throw the grenade."

Shepard considered the suggestion silently as her eyes fell on Alenko and Dr T'Soni pinned down by gunfire. "Fine but if I get shot, you're cleaning my fish tank. For a week."

Tristan smirked. It was still amusing to think that the Alliance allowed the fish tank in the loft to remain, even though it was no more than a security risk – if it broke and the water flooded out, it could do some serious damage to the electronics and wiring of the _Normandy_. Tristan and Shepard holstered their guns, much to their companions' confusion and maybe Alenko grew a bit suspicious. Shepard grabbed a grenade and prepared it for throwing while Tristan slowly got to her feet and peered around the edge. When there was a second-long break in the fire, Tristan stepped out from behind her cover and straightened her right arm in front of her and grimaced. A light blue barrier shimmered to life in front of her and Shepard stepped behind her.

The Cerberus personnel opened relentless fire on the barrier. Luckily, Dr T'Soni and Alenko were team players and started to lay down some supressing fire. Shepard tapped Tristan on the shoulder lightly so as not to break her concentration and they slowly walked forward a few steps. When they were close enough, Shepard leant around Tristan and threw the grenade. It stuck to the soldier in the very middle and after a second, exploded. Tristan dropped the barrier and immediately pulled out a biotic energy bar. The other stuff, she could do no problem but the barriers exhausted her. While still munching away, Tristan walked over to the elevator. Someone – she wasn't sure who – then pointed out the obvious that it had been sabotaged and then suggested that they needed to find another way up.

Tristan ignored the suggestion and finished her energy bar. Her omni-tool quickly scanned the small control panel. It wasn't getting any power. In theory, it would be a quick fix, assuming the problem was as simple as it appeared.

"I should be able to fix this," Tristan stated.

Shepard nodded thoughtfully. "I wouldn't doubt you for a second but things aren't always as simple as they seem when it comes to Cerberus. We'll search for another way, just in case."

Tristan raised an eyebrow.

Shepard shrugged. "I just don't want to put all my eggs in one basket."

Tristan nearly burst out laughing when she saw Dr T'Soni's' expression, even despite her foul mood. Apparently, there was still a thing or two the Shadow Broker needed to learn about humans.

"You mean you don't want to count your chickens before they hatch?" Tristan asked seriously and subtly nodded in the Asari's direction.

Shepard's hazel eyes lit up with a mixture of amusement and mischief although she somehow managed to keep her face serious. Tristan was usually a bad influence on the Commander and this opportunity could not be passed up. Besides, neither of them could remember the last time they had so much fun with puns.

"I just want all my ducks in a row before I decide on a course of action," Shepard countered.

Tristan was fighting to keep a straight face, as was Alenko but he was slowly starting to smirk.

"Commander, stop being so fowl," Tristan replied innocently.

Dr T'Soni frowned. "You're mocking me," she said quietly.

Shepard shook her head, still somehow managing to remain serious, even as Tristan started to shake with silent laughter. "Not at all, Liara. Agent Chase just isn't as punny as she thinks she is."

Now that her mood had improved a bit, Tristan smirked and focused on the control panel, leaving Liara to her confusion. While the others spread out to find a Plan B and Kaidan and Liara discussed Cerberus' arrival, Tristan used the blade of her knife to unscrew the front cover of the panel. The wires were mostly undisturbed, aside from one that had been cut. Both sides were still there and the connection only needed to be completed. Still using her knife, Tristan used it to peel away the plastic coating so the copper wires were exposed. Once her knife was sheathed, she experimentally connected the wires. There was a single spark and then the elevator hummed into life. She disconnected them again to keep the elevator from moving automatically.

"Going up," Tristan called over her shoulder.

Shepard smiled and they all walked over. Tristan held the wires together again and the elevator steadily went up. When it was level with the top floor, she disconnected the wires again and they all disembarked. Shepard led the way towards the door that silently slid open at their approach. A scientist ran into their line of sight but before any of them could react, someone fired a gun nearby and killed the scientist.

"We've done a sweep through the residence," a Cerberus Assault Trooper was saying into his radio nearby and they all froze. "Going to check on Able Squad. They're not reporting in."

'Able squad'? If they had just fought 'Able Squad', they weren't very able, Tristan thought wryly. When it was obvious that they were still undetected, Shepard gave quick hand signals. Kaidan and Liara were to take cover behind the door while Tristan would sneak over to cover, with Shepard. There was some odd machinery and a large cement block with some pipes connecting to it that Tristan used as cover, keeping low to the ground. Shepard followed closely until they could easily grab a Cerberus Assault Trooper each. Tristan looked to Shepard who held up her left hand to count down from five. Their timing needed to be perfect. Tristan nodded once and prepared herself.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

Shepard and Tristan both shot up and grabbed the troopers. Tristan grabbed the helmet with both hands and twisted, breaking the man's neck again while Shepard pulled hers behind cover and killed him with her omni-tool. The Commander was _such_ a nerd, Tristan thought with a shake of her head. She dropped to the floor again when the other Cerberus troopers opened fire on their location but they hadn't counted on Alenko and Dr T'Soni. Tristan drew her pistol and stood up, killing the closest trooper with a single shot. A singularity appeared in the centre of the group of troopers and sucked them in.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. Dr T'Soni certainly did like her singularities… A thought suddenly occurred to Tristan. If there was more than one singularity, was it still called a singularity? Maybe a double-arity? Triple-arity? Not as catchy though it certainly had potential. The troopers that were still floating about were easily picked off with the guns. The next room provided access to the pedway. It was a large room that bore a resemblance to a train station's waiting area. A security room was located on the opposite side to where they entered. It was very quiet…unnervingly so.

"We'll need access to the pedway. Controls should be close by," Dr T'Soni informed them as they entered the empty room.

The control room was a mess with datapads scattered everywhere. The terminals and monitors still had power although a few of the monitors were black. There was also a dead Alliance soldier still sitting in his chair. Shepard went to investigate the room while Tristan and Alenko stood in the doorway as guards. Dr T'Soni headed over to one of the terminals and started to type away at the keyboard.

"Damn it," the Asari cursed. "Security's been tampered with. Shepard, see if you can gain access to the pedway."

Shepard walked over to another console to investigate it and perhaps help Dr T'Soni. Tristan would have volunteered but Shepard knew computers better than she did. Dr T'Soni continued to type away at her console.

"I can't seem to unlock the live feeds but…" Dr T'Soni started.

Her words piqued Tristan's curiosity so she walked forward to peer at the console, vaguely aware that Alenko had come with.

"Hey," Alenko said, completely engrossed by the monitor. "Did you see that? Who's that woman in the vid?"

"That's Dr Eva Core," Dr T'Soni answered. "She got here about a week ago."

Tristan watched the footage of the woman run on screen, look around erratically, investigate a terminal and then run off again. Dr Eva Core was certainly suspicious. When Shepard had gotten up close and personal with a Prothean Beacon on Eden Prime three years ago and had been plagued with bad dreams, Tristan had tried to be a supportive friend by researching everything she could about the Protheans to offer some possible insight to help Shepard interpret what she was seeing and possibly take some of the pressure off her mind. There had been so many journal articles published by Dr T'Soni yet the name Eva Core had never come up. Ever. The timeline was also extremely suspicious. A supposed Prothean "expert" is sent to the Mars Archives and a week later, the Reapers invade Earth and the Mars Archives goes offline after someone pulled an inside job.

"Anyone else a bit suspicious of this Dr Core?" Tristan asked to no one in particular.

The question went largely ignored as it was pretty much rhetorical. Dr T'Soni got up and walked over to Shepard.

"Any luck?" she asked.

"Pedway's been locked out," Shepard answered, still tapping away at the keyboard.

Dr T'Soni took over. "All right. Looks like there's construction nearby. We can get out on the roof. We can find a way around from there."

Another door's lock turned from red to green.

"Great. Let's move out," Shepard answered.

Dr T'Soni, Shepard and Alenko took their guns out again whereas Tristan left her pistol in its holster. Her thoughts were still dwelling on Dr Core and the chances of her being the "inside man", so to speak. It was weird that the others didn't seem to be as suspicious of the woman. Dr T'Soni was the Shadow Broker and yet she didn't seem to know much about what was going on. Perhaps the Prothean Archaeologist was who they were dealing with and not the Shadow Broker. It was plausible. Shepard led the way to the first door which closed smoothly behind them. Without another word, they each put on their helmets and Dr T'Soni put on a breather mask. When all of their helmets were on and completely secure, Shepard walked over to the control panel and began the pressurization process.

Once the interior pressure was equal to the exterior pressure, the second door opened. The huge dust storm had gotten closer and there was a strong wind which none of them were readily prepared for so they staggered back a few paces until they regained their balance. The edges of the facility were already starting to blur beneath the dust. This was going to get interesting. Shepard walked over to a ladder and one by one, they climbed down it. They had a clear view of the pedway from their spot and what they saw was completely unexpected.

"What the hell?" Alenko demanded in surprise.

Tristan raised an eyebrow, deciding not to comment further. Alenko was a solid soldier as soon as the bullets started to fly however his people skills still needed a lot of work. Two trams were speeding along and shooting at each other.

"Looks like the Alliance is still putting up a fight," Shepard said.

"Let's hope they fare better than the others," Tristan commented.

"That tram heads to the Archives," Dr T'Soni explained. "Once Cerberus is across, they're at the final security checkpoint."

They needed to pick up the pace so they started jogging down the catwalk which wasn't easy with the strong wind.

Some static came over the radio followed by a weak "Commander. You read me?"

"Barely," Shepard answered. "Storm's causing interference."

They approached another ladder.

"Tell me about it," James replied through the static. "I've lost contact with the _Normandy_. What's y…"

The static increased and James' last few words were drowned out. Tristan brought up her omni-tool and tried to clear up the static for Shepard but there wasn't much she could do.

"I didn't read that, James. Repeat?"

Whatever James was trying to say was lost on them. There was far too much interference to make out anything. The storm was getting closer so they hurried up the ladder. There was another airlock just beyond a small gap which they all easily jumped over.

"This airlock shouldn't be open," Dr T'Soni said suspiciously.

"It doesn't look like it's been forced open," Alenko added as they approached.

"No, you have to override security protocols," Liara answered.

Tristan could think of only one reason why someone would open an airlock and leave it open. When the thought crossed her mind, she grimaced. This went unnoticed because of her helmet. She strongly hoped she was wrong but this was Cerberus they were dealing with and anything was possible. Shepard glanced over her shoulder to make sure everyone was still present before leading the way into the dark room ahead.


	3. Mars Archives

**At this rate, I could probably say Saturday is Update Day but I am hesitant to say so…instead, I'll say that Saturday is perhaps the likeliest day for an update.**

**Thank you for all of the Favourites and Alerts. I believe this story is becoming more popular than my other one (which isn't a bad thing – I just find it funny). If there are any issues (typos, continuity, etc.) please feel free to let me know. I do apologise for any mistakes, I've been writing this between updates for **_**Ghost from the Past**_** and classes.**

**Please enjoy!**

**Chapter 3: Mars Archives**

The room was dark, so dark that they all had to turn on the flashlights for their guns. Tristan directed her beam of light around the room, slowly circling as she walked. Apparently, her hunch had been correct and Cerberus had opened the airlock while there were still people inside. It was a horrible way to go. Tristan glanced at Shepard in time to notice her posture stiffen and it had nothing to do with Cerberus. Alenko and Dr T'Soni did not notice so Tristan walked over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Shepard relaxed slightly and continued forward. There was no need to exchange words.

"Someone vented the air from this room while they were still here," Dr T'Soni said when they stumbled on the first body.

Based on the uniform, it was a scientist. He never stood a chance.

"Looks like they died trying to claw their way out," Kaidan added.

"This is brutal, even by Cerberus standards," Dr T'Soni replied quietly.

Tristan shrugged. "Personally, I'm surprised you think so. They've experimented with Thresher Maws, Dragon's Teeth, a Derelict Reaper, Thorian Creepers, Rachni and Husks. They created an AI, resurrected the dead, stole the plans for a classified Alliance ship, helped you track down the Shadow Broker and _this_ shocks you?"

There was a brief pause.

"I suppose you have a point, Agent Chase," Dr T'Soni allowed slowly.

"Don't tell me you're going all pessimistic on me," Shepard commented. She would never admit that she depended on Tristan's odd – sometimes inappropriate – sense of humour to make light of bad situations.

Tristan smiled even though it was hidden by her helmet. "I'm actually taking something seriously and you say I'm a pessimist? Can I do nothing right?"

Shepard caught on to the teasing tone and smiled too. After a few more steps, they reached the stairs and Tristan found a datapad on the floor. As the others continued forward, she reached down and picked it up. Apparently, a few of the scientists had picked up on Dr Core and her suspicious behaviour. Tristan copied the datapad onto her omni-tool and placed it on one of the tables she passed. One never knew when Intel could come in handy, even something as rudimentary as personal correspondence. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they noticed some Cerberus soldiers on the other side of the glass. Immediately, the flashlights were switched off and they hid behind some counters.

The soldiers continued to chatter on and it was starting to wear on Tristan's patience. Apparently, Shepard felt the same way and fired a shot over the counter. The glass shattered and the soldiers disappeared behind their own cover. It wasn't exactly subtle. Tristan took her sniper rifle off of her back and was suddenly glad for the dark room they were in. The Cerberus troopers were distracted by Shepard, Alenko and Dr T'Soni's bullets, not realising there was a fourth person in the room. Tristan placed her sniper rifle on the top of the counter and slowly moved it to line up a shot. One trooper made the mistake of curiously peering around the railing he was hiding behind and Tristan pulled the trigger.

The suddenly loud shot rang out in the darkness and everyone froze to take stock of themselves, trying to figure out who had been shot and who was doing the shooting. In such close quarters, a sniper had been unexpected. While everyone was distracted, Tristan grabbed her sniper rifle and disappeared behind cover once again to reload.

"_Tristan, was that you?"_ Shepard whispered over the radio.

"Of course," Tristan replied casually in a soft whisper and loaded the next round into the chamber.

When Cerberus realised that they were the targets of the mysterious sniper, they all ducked behind cover once again and only popped out to return fire. Tristan used their confused response to change cover and was now beside Dr T'Soni, who had just unleashed yet another singularity upon the Cerberus morons. Tristan placed the sniper rifle on the top of the counter and used the scope to locate an easy shot. Dr T'Soni's biotics and suppressing fire was attracting all of the attention. This was just far too easy. Another trooper stood up to change cover and Tristan fired the shot, nailing him between the eyes.

She slunk behind the counter and reloaded. Their panic at the sniper had also provided Shepard and Alenko with an advantage so their numbers were dropping pretty fast. Tristan peeked over the top of the counter to see if there was a point to sniping again and found a trooper firing at Shepard and Alenko. Rather than waste a bullet, Tristan lifted her right hand and sent a Warp his way. He cried out as his armour began to crush him and then collapsed to the floor. No more shots followed so they all carefully got to their feet. Tristan returned the sniper rifle to her back. There was nothing else of interest in the room so they started to walk out.

"Was this really the best time for sniping?" Alenko asked condescendingly.

"Sometimes the best thing isn't what makes sense but what doesn't," Tristan answered.

Alenko paused to process that bit of information and as she passed, she could make out a very confused expression.

Shepard sighed and shook her head. "She means that sometimes to have the advantage you need to do something that isn't expected."

The main door was still sealed shut so they had to climb over what had once been the windows. Even with the armour, they needed to be careful of any broken shards of glass that may have remained. It was one thing for armour to be damaged by a bullet but another, entirely embarrassing thing for it to be damaged by a small, immobile shard of glass. The security room was on their right and Dr T'Soni and Shepard made a beeline straight for it. Most of the terminals were still functioning and a pair of dead Alliance soldiers was lying on the floor. It was a good thing Tristan was used to seeing dead bodies otherwise she would have needed some serious therapy after this.

Shepard went over to a medi-gel dispenser to replenish their supplies, just in case, and Dr T'Soni walked over to a nearby terminal. Alenko remained close to the door, guarding their six. Tristan, however, was more interested in one of the dead soldiers. She approached the body closest to the terminals and tilted his head to the side while the room was pressurized. There was some mention of labs and a tram station but it seemed irrelevant at the moment.

"Tristan?"

She looked up and noticed Dr T'Soni, Shepard and Alenko watching her curiously. It took a moment to realise that they had all removed their helmets so Tristan removed hers and then focused on the body again.

"This man was executed with a single gunshot to the back of the head. He probably didn't even know what was happening until it was too late," she explained. "This definitely provides more credence to the "inside job" theory."

The others' expressions were torn between admiration and being creeped out.

"How do you _even_ know that?" Shepard asked.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You do realise I'm a Black Ops Field Agent, right?"

"Are you saying you've done something like this before?" Dr T'Soni asked.

Tristan paused long enough to make her next statement unconvincing. "Not at all, Doctor."

Alenko walked further into the room, peering at one of the consoles. "It looks like there's a recording of what happened here."

Shepard curiously looked at the terminal and tapped the keyboard. The screen flickered and the footage started to play. It was pretty standard footage of Alliance soldiers sitting in the security room…until Dr Core entered the room and executed the soldiers. The footage ended abruptly and static filled the screen. The footage then continued after a second but at an angle, showing Dr Core accessing the terminals. The angle changed again and showed the scientists in the room as the airlock opened. Tristan glanced at Shepard and noticed the guarded expression on her face. Tristan did not want to be Dr Core when they found her.

"I guess we know how Cerberus got in," Shepard commented in a tone of forced calm.

Yeah, Dr Core was definitely in trouble. Then Tristan noticed Dr T'Soni's body language. Even though the doctor was an Asari there were enough similarities between Asari and Humans that allowed Tristan a 'best guess' of her emotions: she was angry and perhaps ashamed. As Shepard knew her best, Tristan scanned the room for anything of interest once more before exiting to give them some privacy. Alenko apparently shared the idea and they found each other standing in awkward silence while they waited.

"So…Black Ops?" Alenko attempted small talk.

Tristan glanced in his direction for a moment. He wasn't getting off that easy. "Yep." She drew out the word and then emphasized the 'p' so it made a popping sound. She was being childish and she knew it. She was even enjoying it.

When she wasn't forthcoming with more information, the silence returned. Luckily they didn't have to endure it much longer. The door on the opposite side of the room's red lock changed to green and Shepard and Dr T'Soni left the security room. Shepard led the way through the doors and into a small room with a weapons bench and a lot of crates. They could immediately pick up the radio chatter from Echo Squad from up the stairs. They listened briefly to try to gain some insight into their orders and then drew their guns. Dr T'Soni had her pistol ready, Alenko had his assault rifle charged and Shepard loaded her shotgun.

"Let's hope they're better than Able Squad," Tristan remarked dryly as she drew her own pistol.

Shepard smiled and shook her head. "You are aware that we're fighting against them?"

Tristan shrugged. "I was just expecting so much more from them."

Shepard rolled her eyes. The stairs led to the door which opened onto a long corridor. The corridor was divided into small workspaces with terminals and divided by walls made of glass panes. A lot of crates were spread out again, mostly in the centre of the room. Perhaps this had been the Alliance's attempt at cover for when bullets were flying or blockades to slow the progress of the Cerberus invaders. If that was the case, it didn't do a very good job. There were also a number of Cerberus troopers further down the corridor. The moment the doors opened, they replaced their idle chatter with shouts of "That's them!" and "Move!" before opening fire.

Tristan used the wall for cover with Shepard opposite her. Dr T'Soni and Alenko used some of the nearby crates as cover and returned fire. It didn't take long for the orders of "Move!" to change to "Fall back!". Apparently, Echo Squad wasn't much better than Able Squad. The troopers started to fall behind their own cover but not before a pair of troopers holding large bulletproof shields in front of them started to approach. Without hesitation, Tristan leant around her cover and then enveloped the closest shield in biotic energy. Shepard realised what she was doing and prepared to fire. Tristan yanked the shield forward and then released the energy, the shield cluttering to the floor. The soldier staggered and Shepard fired her shotgun.

Tristan ducked behind cover again as she was pelted with a lot of gunfire. When Dr T'Soni and Alenko were able to get them to back off, Tristan looked to Shepard who nodded. So she peeked around her cover and located the second shield. It was yanked forward again but because Shepard had been prepared, the trooper didn't even have time to stagger before he had been shot. Tristan then rolled forward to take cover behind a large desk in the next workspace. It was covered in datapads and files with a bookcase in the corner. Shepard sprinted forward to stand beside the next doorway. Alenko went opposite to Shepard while Dr T'Soni joined Tristan. The amount of gunfire dropped sharply and after a few more minutes, it went strangely quiet.

They slowly emerged from cover and continued carefully down the corridor. None of them believed it was over – Cerberus was far too sneaky to give up that easily, especially considering the radio chatter they overheard involved posting a lot of soldiers by the tram station. They continued through the next doorway and reached the room at the end of the corridor. It had many lockers and a single computer terminal. To their left, another corridor continued and it was filled with more Cerberus soldiers. The Cerberus soldiers opened fire so Shepard, Tristan, Alenko and Dr T'Soni had to retreat behind cover. As they moved, Shepard grabbed one of her grenades and tossed it at the nearest trooper. When it exploded, it killed a few but more importantly, it gave them time to find better cover. Once again, Tristan was beside the door. As she peered around, the locked door further down was opened from the other side. More troopers filed into the room.

Rather than wasting ammo on targets she wasn't likely to hit, especially when someone detonated a smoke bomb, Tristan looked around the room they were in to find some way to even the odds. It wasn't so much the skill of these troopers that worried her rather it was the sheer number of them. The others were surprised by her apparent lack of interest in the gunfire although they didn't say anything. Tristan's eyes then fell on a medium-sized fire extinguisher tucked away in the corner. The contents, although generally used for safety, were extremely pressurized and if shot could turn into a rather deadly bomb in close quarters. But the shot needed to be perfect. Shepard's shotgun was too inaccurate and Dr T'Soni's biotics were more accurate than her pistol so that just left…Tristan resisted the urge to groan. Requesting help from him was not really on her list of things to do today. Then again, that particular list involved going to a tropical beach and drinking out of coconuts with little umbrellas, not attempting to retake Mars from Cerberus while Reapers destroyed Earth.

"Alenko!" she shouted over the gunfire. "How's your aim?"

He was momentarily perplexed by the question and the timing of it but answered anyway "It gets the job done!"

Humility. Interesting. "Great! You're going to want to get ready then!"

Once again, everyone was confused. Tristan focused her biotics on the fire extinguisher. At first, she moved it carefully until it was safely away from the others – their looks of dawning comprehension were amusing – but once it got by the door, Tristan threw it down the passage so it skidded along the floor and then she promptly ducked into the corner away from the door. Thankfully Alenko knew how to use his brain and fired at the extinguisher as it crossed paths with the Cerberus troopers. The fire extinguisher exploded rather spectacularly and surprised yelps were cut short. A powerful gust of air created dust clouds and Tristan had to close her eyes. It was over within seconds. The corridor was silent as the four emerged from cover. In the centre of the corridor was a mixture of the extinguishing foam and dead Cerberus troopers.

"Huh," Tristan commented. "That worked better than I expected."

"That's not exactly reassuring," Dr T'Soni replied.

Tristan shrugged. "Still, it's an interesting and ironic way to go. 'Killed by fire extinguisher' is hardly inspiring."

Shepard snorted. "You keep this up and you'll be 'strangled by an annoyed Commander Shepard'."

"See? Now _that_ has potential," Tristan answered, oblivious to the shared smirk between Alenko and Dr T'Soni.

The corridor went past a secure lab and then another set of doors that opened at their approach. There was another secure lab and a handful of Cerberus troopers. Dr T'Soni fired a singularity at them and the others opened fire. Tristan realised that these gunfights were getting much easier the further they progressed. It wasn't because of their skill rather they were slowly adapting to each other's fighting style and had come to know what to expect. Tristan was not generally a team player, so to speak, as 90% of her missions had been solo missions and those that hadn't been…well, her team mates regarded her as a "loose cannon" and "completely unpredictable" whereas she preferred the term "adaptable" which explained the obvious teamwork.

Shepard, Alenko and Dr T'Soni had a lot of experience working together as a deadly and efficient squad. It had been three years since they had last worked together and they were just getting back into their stride. Tristan, being adaptable, was filling in the gaps in their defence or offense and occasionally did something to tip the scale in their favour. Did she mind being the third wheel, so to speak? Not at all. She preferred remaining in the background, going about her job without praise at every turn. It was probably the reason why she was so well suited to Black Ops – you were doing the job wrong if you received acknowledgement for anything you did.

As they approached another door, it was closed from the other side and looked as though it had been welded shut. Apparently, Cerberus thought that would be enough to stop them. Even so, they continued to look around for another way out.

"What's that smell?" Alenko suddenly asked.

Tristan was confused. She couldn't smell anything.

"They just activated the decontamination protocols," Dr T'Soni answered as they approached the windows of the secure lab on their left.

"With the staff still inside," Alenko finished.

Well, that explained it. The smell of death. Tristan was so used to being around dead bodies that the smell didn't consciously affect her. Now that someone had pointed it out, she could smell it. Burning flesh. It wasn't a pleasant smell. They peered in through the windows and saw large tables scattered with samples of rock and some datapads that presumably contained their findings amid other scientific items of which Tristan could only name the microscope. The decontamination lines continued their work, oblivious to the now dead bodies in the room. Shepard walked over to the nearby control panel and waited until there was a clear path to the opposite door to deactivate the protocols.

"This is where they studied the various artefacts unearthed here," Dr T'Soni announced when they entered the room.

Tristan glanced at a table that Dr T'Soni seemed fixated on. "It just looks like a large pile of rocks to me," she muttered.

The Asari didn't hear her.

"What did they find?" Shepard asked as she examined a nearby datapad.

"More than I can describe in a short conversation."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. It was hard to decide if it were amusing or downright sad that only recently the scientists had made such a breakthrough with the Prothean Archives. The information had been waiting to be discovered all these years but it took a largely ignored warning of impending doom to get them interested again. It was downright sad, Tristan decided. If they had only taken Shepard's warnings seriously from the beginning or delved deeper into the Prothean Archives earlier then maybe, just maybe Earth wouldn't be in ruins right now. The rest of the conversation between Dr T'Soni and Shepard was drowned out by these thoughts.

After a few more minutes, Shepard led the way through the door and down the corridor. The tram lines were easily seen through the windows. They made their way down the corridor carefully and on high alert. It was strange that they hadn't crossed paths with more Cerberus troopers. Either they had an ambush planned – although this required too much brainpower to be likely – or there was a trap ahead. When they stumbled on the body of a Cerberus trooper, the trap theory was suddenly more likely. Tristan knelt beside the body and brought up her omni-tool.

"He hasn't been dead long," Tristan explained. "And these bullets holes are far too big to be any gun I know of. Whatever they have planned can't be good for us."

"Agreed," Shepard replied and readied her shotgun. "Be on your guard."

Once Tristan returned to her feet, Shepard opened the door. They had barely a second to register the large turret at the end of the corridor focus on them and open fire. Luckily, they were already on edge so their reactions were speedy, granting them the agility to get to safety quickly. A turret of that size would have no trouble ripping through their shields and killing them within moments.

"Is that the only way in?" Alenko asked.

"It's the only way I know of," Dr T'Soni answered breathlessly.

Tristan, for her part, didn't quite understand the hesitation. Then again, getting pinned down by a large turret was just another perk of the job for her. It was also quite fun: it certainly tested your skills of evasion and pushed you to your limits.

"What are you grinning at?" Shepard asked worriedly.

Tristan shrugged. "This is going to be fun."

"Somehow, I'm guessing your definition of fun differs from my own," Shepard replied. "Do you know how to get past?"

"The turret's targeting system relies on movement and body heat so there's no way to fool it from our position. Stay low and behind cover. I'd guess there's a three second delay between locking onto a target and opening fire," she explained.

"I'll go first," Alenko volunteered but Tristan stuck out her arm.

"No way, Boy Scout."

Before Alenko could argue further about going first or his new nickname, Tristan sprinted diagonally across the corridor and got behind a small wall that was jutting out. Once the turret ceased fire, Tristan glanced to the others and Alenko nodded once. They sprinted at the same time, Tristan moving to the next piece of wall and Alenko to her previous cover. Shepard came next when Tristan sprinted to the next bit of cover and then finally Dr T'Soni. They continued to sprint in this manner until Tristan made it to a crate just in front of the turret. The sprinting was replaced by rolls to the side to move from crate to crate. Eventually, they all made it to a point that the turret could not target because it couldn't swivel that far. Even though they were all breathing hard, Tristan was the only one smiling.

"You're insane," Shepard commented.

Tristan decided not to comment, especially when they heard some more Cerberus soldiers on the other side of the door, inside the turret control room. It took a moment until she realised that most people would probably refer to it as a "security room". They each drew their weapons and went through the door. Even though the Cerberus soldiers had the advantage of knowing the layout of the room and knowing of their arrival, they did not have the advantage of superior skill or firepower therefore it was relatively easy to clear out the room. Once they were certain the room was now Cerberus-free, Shepard walked over to the main terminal and deactivated the turret. The monitors showed a brief clip of Dr Core giving orders to some soldiers and then taking out the camera.

"Looks like they made it to the Archives," Dr T'Soni said, sounding defeated.

Figuring the following conversation was going to be a boring one, Tristan went to examine the rest of the room. There was a datapad on a desk nearby but it only contained information about the digs. Pretty useless. Unexpectedly, Tristan stumbled upon a small cache of thermal clips, probably left behind by the Cerberus soldiers that had just been killed. It was such a waste to leave them there and it wasn't like the Cerberus morons needed them anymore…so Tristan drew her guns one by one and replaced each clip with a fresh clip and then adding to her small supply of extra clips.

Satisfied that she was now geared up to fight a war, Tristan glanced up in time to hear something about convincing Cerberus that the Alliance had been taken care of and then Alenko left the room. Tristan pondered the suggestion and was reluctant to admit that it was a pretty good idea. Alenko suddenly called out for Shepard and she went over to investigate. Tristan walked over to the desk behind Dr T'Soni and leant against it, folding her arms across her chest to wait. Dr T'Soni briefly glanced over her shoulder and Tristan noticed the slightest hint of disapproval.

"What?" she asked carefully.

"Don't you think you're being a bit hard on Major Alenko?" the Asari asked.

Tristan considered the question. "No. I'm actually being delightful, compared to how I usually behave around people I don't like. Besides, it's not like I shot him."

This received another look of disapproval but Dr T'Soni did not otherwise comment.

"You didn't see Shepard after Horizon," Tristan said softly.

Dr T'Soni swivelled in her chair to look at Tristan. "How bad…?"

"Very. It may have been two years for us but it had only been a few weeks for her and all she wanted was to be back with him. Apparently, he called her a traitor," Tristan explained.

Dr T'Soni's brow furrowed. Whether it was confusion or anger was hard to tell.

"Unless Alenko apologises or Shepard tells me to back off, he's just going to have to put up with me," Tristan finished.

"Shepard is very lucky to have a friend like you watch her back," Dr T'Soni answered with a small smile.

Tristan returned the smile and the doors opened just then. Shepard entered the room with a slightly confused Alenko following just behind her. She then tossed something at Tristan which she caught out of pure reflex. Closer inspection revealed that it was a radio, presumably from a dead Cerberus soldier. Without further prodding, Tristan brought up her omni-tool and tapped it a few times. Suddenly, she was glad she had uploaded the information from the other Cerberus radios. Her omni-tool was then able to mask her voice and make it sound like the majority of soldiers they had already crossed paths with – it would be a bit suspicious if a woman suddenly started to talk over the radio.

"This is Delta Squad," Tristan said into the radio in her now very manly voice. "Come in."

"_Where the hell have you been?" _an angry voice demanded, forcing Tristan to bite back some reply. _"Never mind. What's your status?"_

It's just another job, Tristan reminded herself. She couldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of this.

Out loud, she responded "We're at the tram station, awaiting extraction. All hostile forces have been terminated and the tram station is secure."

"_Roger that. Echo Squad will ride over to confirm your status."_

Tristan terminated the voice masking program on her omni-tool and looked up. Judging by the three stunned looks, they hadn't expected her to be _that_ smooth.

As she got to her feet, she tossed the radio to Alenko and, as she walked past, said "Child's play."

Unfortunately, the Major didn't rise to her challenge and Shepard, following his suggestion, ordered them behind some crates to flank Echo Squad when they arrived. Just as they hid behind cover, the large door opened and the tram stopped. Echo Squad disembarked from the tram and curiously looked around. While surprise was still on their side, the four exchanged glances and nodded. Shepard used sabotage on their weapons, Dr T'Soni sent out a singularity in the centre of the group, Alenko used his biotics to throw the closest soldier and Tristan used her own biotics on the furthest soldier now caught in the singularity's pull and slammed him into the floor.

The remaining soldiers continued to circle around the singularity and Tristan calmly walked over to one of the dead soldiers, relieving him of a grenade. She smiled and carelessly used her left hand to toss it in the air and catch it again, much like normal people would do with a ball. When the others realised her line of thinking, they didn't need a warning to duck behind cover. Tristan then pulled the pin and tossed it at the singularity. Once it was caught in its pull too, she joined them behind cover and waited for the following explosion. The ambush had been effective. The coast was clear, all the Cerberus soldiers had been taken care of and they could now ride the tram over to the Archives. Once they had all climbed aboard the tram and put their helmets on, Shepard walked forward and activated the console. They all walked forward to peer out the window but while the other three were discussing the trip, Tristan noticed some blinking red lights on the track.

"Grab onto something!" she yelled, just as the tram rode over the bomb and exploded.

Her warning had been too late and the tram didn't exactly give a lot of options so they were all knocked off of their feet in a very undignified manner. As explosions went, it wasn't too bad.

"Well, any explosion you can walk away from is a good explosion," Tristan commented as she dusted her hardsuit off.

Shepard shook her head. "I'm pretty sure that applies to crash landings and not explosions, Tris."

Tristan shrugged and got to her feet. The tram was no longer working and their options were limited…until Cerberus came out with a tram of their own and opened fire on them. The tram wasn't exactly built for gunfights but it still provided some cover. As the Cerberus tram came closer, Tristan used her biotics to pull the nearest soldier over the edge and then left him fall to his death. It was a _very_ long way down. She then followed this with a Warp at the next closest trooper. Shepard sabotaged their weapons and Dr T'Soni sent out a singularity. Alenko then took a page out of Tristan's book and used his biotics to pull soldiers off the tram and let them fall. It was perhaps cruel although it was very effective. Tristan hadn't expected the Boy Scout to copy her but she wasn't going to say a word. By the time the tram came to a stop opposite the broken tram, there was one soldier left that Shepard didn't take pity on.

Shepard was the first one to jump into their new tram, followed by Dr T'Soni, Tristan and finally Alenko. There were some comments about Cerberus working hard to keep them away from the Archives. Tristan didn't pay much attention, her focus was on getting the tram moving. Despite the occasional jokes – which were more for Shepard's benefit – Tristan couldn't wait to get the hell off of Mars and away from Cerberus and as they neared their goal, she started to become a bit restless. When the tram came to a stop outside the station, more Cerberus troopers opened fire.

Dr T'Soni sent a singularity into the fray and it successfully caught a few troopers. Shepard sabotaged their weapons and Alenko overloaded the shields of a few other soldiers. Tristan was just about to fire her pistol at a trooper nearby when she noticed another fire extinguisher. It was bigger than the last one – it made sense, considering a fire in a tram station would be pretty big – so the explosion would also be pretty big. Shepard noticed what she was looking at and ordered the other two to hit the deck. Tristan fired two shots at the extinguisher before ducking. As she had guessed, the explosion was quite big and completely unexpected. From the amount of rushing air, it was probably a good thing they still had their helmets on.

When the air stopped, they curiously peeked over the top of the tram. All of the troopers that had been on their left of the station were dead while those few who had been on the right had either been knocked off their feet or their hardsuits had been damaged, causing them to suffocate. The few surviving troopers were easy to pick off with guns as they headed for the door. Shepard walked ahead and used her omni-tool to bypass the lock and the doors opened, revealing the Mars Archives.


	4. The Citadel

**This chapter is a bit more about Tristan and a bit about her background though there isn't much. Basically, there isn't any action but we'll get there soon.**

**Something I forgot to mention yet again, if you noticed a change in Rating and are curious as to why, then please read my profile.**

**Finally, please read and review. And thank you to those who have reviewed, favourite-ed and alert-ed my story.**

**Chapter 4: The Citadel**

The room was large and circular. In the very centre was a tall…thing made of stone and energy was pulsating from it. Tristan wasn't sure how to describe its shape. Maybe an obelisk? A tall pointy rock? Either way, it was Prothean and the reason for coming to Mars. Shepard led the way in with Dr T'Soni and Alenko close behind. Tristan allowed some distance to come between them before following at a slower pace. There was something in the room that didn't quite feel right…it was hard to explain. Maybe it was her biotics picking up on the energy from the Prothean Rock or maybe it was her spy senses tingling. Either way, she jogged to catch up with the others when a visual scan didn't show anything out of the ordinary.

Shepard ordered Alenko to go around one way and Tristan to go around the other way to make sure they were all truly alone while she and Dr T'Soni went to investigate the nearby terminal. Perhaps Shepard was picking up on it too. Tristan nodded once in confirmation of her orders and slowly walked along the corridor, giving the Prothean Rock a large berth. As she walked, she made sure to move silently and also circled to make sure nothing could sneak up behind her. She gripped her M-3 Predator pistol tightly and with both hands. Generally speaking, she didn't get nervous or jumpy while on a mission but this trip to Mars wasn't like every other mission. As she continued to circle, Shepard and Dr T'Soni's voices echoed into the emptiness as well as a mysterious man…the Illusive Man. She had heard his voice a few times before but had never seen his face. Apparently, he had creepy eyes.

The voices faded to the background as the conversation dragged on. Tristan only caught disjointed words so it wasn't worthwhile to eavesdrop. Nothing would make much sense. What she did hear though was Shepard slowly getting angry. The sound of Alenko's heavy footsteps were getting louder as they slowly drew closer together. Tristan froze as she heard Dr T'Soni mention something about a local upload. That wasn't good. Alenko then started to shout at someone nearby. This was promptly followed by grunts so Tristan picked up the pace. Alenko was knocked to the floor outside a small alcove with a computer terminal inside and a slender woman with short cut black hair and a pistol in one hand came running out a few moments later…Dr Eva Core.

Shepard and Dr T'Soni took off immediately but Tristan hung back, surprisingly enough to help Alenko to his feet – he then promptly ran off after the others - and then went to the console. Dr Core had destroyed the terminal but not all of the information would have been wiped. She brought up her omni-tool and started to download what she could, even fragments could help piece things together. EDI might even be able to make sense of the data where they could not. Once she downloaded all the data she could, Tristan holstered her weapon and sprinted after Shepard, Alenko and Dr T'Soni. The gunshots made it easy to determine which direction they ran in.

Out through a previously locked doorway, up a ladder, some sprinting, over a ledge, up another ladder, over some crates… She managed to catch up just as Shepard and Dr Core were firing at each other on the roof. A Cerberus shuttle came in for the pickup and Dr Core jumped into it without a problem.

"Damn it! James? _Normandy_? Anyone?" Shepard practically shouted into the radio. She was angry.

Tristan was doing some quick thinking, trying to come up with some plan that would help get the data from Dr Core but even with three powerful biotics, she doubted they would be able to bring down a fully functional shuttle. Suddenly, another shuttle came into view…a blue shuttle.

"_I got this one!"_ James said over the radio, the shuttle angling towards the Cerberus shuttle.

"Is he going to do what I think he's going to do?" Tristan asked, standing beside Shepard.

"I hope not," Shepard replied slowly.

The words had just left Shepard's mouth when the Alliance shuttle collided with the Cerberus shuttle. Chaos followed and it was all Tristan could do to avoid getting crushed by either one of the shuttles. She ran out of the way but the force that the Cerberus shuttle crashed to the floor with was enough to knock Tristan off of her feet. She scrambled out of the way as parts of it were scattered in all directions and then promptly exploded. Alenko, Shepard and Dr T'Soni had all been knocked off their feet too. Shepard started gesturing at the other shuttle and James landed it nearby. For the most part, everyone was uninjured, although Alenko looked unsteady on his feet and Dr T'Soni may have sprained her ankle.

"_Normandy_'s en route," James said as he climbed out of the shuttle, looking around at his handiwork. "They'll be here soon."

Tristan grinned and had to shake her head. "I like your style, Lieutenant."

James looked in her direction and she had a feeling he was probably grinning. She looked over her shoulder at the destruction caused. Not many people could have done that and survived. She took a few steps off to the side and found Alenko helping Dr T'Soni to walk. Something started to move inside the destroyed Cerberus shuttle…there was no way Dr Core should have been able to survive that, if the crash hadn't killed her then the fire should have. A piece of the shuttle was suddenly kicked out, narrowly missing Alenko and Dr T'Soni. Tristan started to run towards them just as Dr Core revealed herself…only she wasn't human.

Dr Core grabbed another piece of the shuttle and threw it at Tristan. It had been a fast and strong throw so that Tristan didn't have time to dodge it or throw up a barrier. It knocked her off her feet as the metallic scrap collided with her right side and she hit the floor hard on her left side. The edge of the scrap had been pretty sharp and had easily cut through her light armour. Already, she could feel some blood trickling down her side but the armour did its job and medi-gel formed a temporary seal over the tear. Alenko had pushed Dr T'Soni out of the way and had tried to fight Dr Core but he never stood a chance as she easily knocked him unconscious. Shepard rounded the corner to find three of her friends on the floor, lying in varying states of consciousness.

Tristan managed to roll onto her back in time to see Shepard's eyes narrow behind her helmet and she drew her pistol. Without budging from her position, Shepard continued to fire at Dr Core who then came to an abrupt stop just short of Shepard. She then glanced in Tristan's direction. In response, Tristan waved her off. She had had far worse injuries than this in her line of work and Alenko needed Shepard more. Much to Tristan's surprise though, James came over and helped her to her feet. Shepard then ordered James to bring the remains of Dr Core with them. As he bent down to pick them up, Tristan experimentally prodded her wound and then winced. That was going to be sore for a while.

Tristan and Dr T'Soni limped over to James while Shepard picked up the unconscious Alenko. Joker's voice came over the radio informing them of incoming Reapers as the _Normandy_ hovered over their position. They quickly boarded the frigate and the _Normandy_ took off. It was an unspoken idea that they all headed straight for the Medical Bay. Shepard placed Alenko on one of the cots and James dropped Dr Core on one opposite. Tristan carefully sat on another empty one and set about examining her own wound while Shepard and Dr T'Soni fussed over Alenko. Tristan was in the business of taking lives, not saving them so she hung back, just in case she made things worse.

Instead, she carefully removed her helmet and placed it on the cot beside her. Shepard ran out to have a chat with Admiral Hackett by that point. Tristan then gingerly removed the chest plate of her armour and lifted the shirt she wore underneath to examine the cut. It was just above her hip. It wasn't deep and was only a couple of centimetres long. The medi-gel was still doing its job and had stopped the bleeding a while ago. The edges were already a deep blue. There was going to be a large bruise there tomorrow. As far as she could tell, nothing was broken and was likely going to be stiff for a few days. She carefully wiped the med-gel off, careful not to make it start bleeding again. Then she looked up. When had Dr T'Soni left? For a spy, Tristan wasn't very good at paying attention to her surroundings. She lowered her shirt again and then tapped her omni-tool.

"EDI?" she said loudly.

The small platform near the desk lit up with a large blue orb. "Yes, Agent Chase?"

"I have some data I would like you to analyse. Some of it is from the terminal back on Mars but it's mostly fragmented. It might be relevant to whatever Dr T'Soni was able to recover," Tristan explained.

"Very well, Agent Chase. And the other data?"

"It's from Earth. A bunch of technicians were in charge of analysing large amounts of data from the Collectors and the Reapers. While most of the terminals were destroyed during the initial attack, I was able to recover some of it. I believe some data may be helpful in clearing up any interference from Reapers while communicating," Tristan continued and then sent the data to EDI's terminals nearby.

There was a long pause as EDI examined the data and filed it away…wherever she kept data. "This data will prove useful. Initial analysis allowed me to reduce interference between the Commander and Admiral Hackett. I will continue to analyse the rest of the data and inform you of any results."

"Thank you, EDI."

The blue orb disappeared and Tristan glanced over at Alenko. He was still unconscious and barely breathing, his face was heavily bruised and pale. The man was a good soldier and a powerful biotic. Tristan sincerely hoped he would make it, if only for Shepard's sake. She slowly slid off the cot, gathered her chest plate and helmet and returned to her quarters for a much needed shower. Once she had changed back into her casual clothes, slapped on some fresh medi-gel over her slightly stinging cut and then secured a temporary square bandage over it. Satisfied with her limited medical expertise, she decided it was now time to investigate the care package from home. She retrieved the small brown-paper covered box from her desk and sat on her bed. The brown paper was relatively easy to pull off. Inside was a small collection of odds and ends.

There was a large, square plastic Tupperware container that took up half of the brown box and was filled with homemade fudge. A datapad was stuck to the top with the words "Love you, Aunt Tris. Stay safe and come home soon. Keira" and a large heart had been added in the corner. Next to the fudge was another smaller box that was also quite thin and rectangular in shape. Tristan curiously opened it and found a photo frame with a picture of a young boy, ten years old, with shaggy dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes. His face was lit up with a huge grin and had a model of the Alliance _Normandy SR-2_ in his hands. A second datapad was lying beneath it and had the message "Best birthday present ever! Love you! Luca" and a huge smiley face covered most of the small screen. Tristan grinned.

As she took the fudge and photo frame out of the box, there was a final datapad stuck to the bottom: "Look after yourself. Jess." Tristan wasn't surprised that her sister in law hadn't sent anything else. Ever since Tristan's brother, Dylan, had been killed, they didn't talk much, even though Kiera and Luca were constantly nagging her to come visit. Jess also completely disapproved of many of Tristan's life choices, most notably her job and her unwavering loyalty to Commander Shepard. She placed the photo frame and the datapads on her desk beside her computer terminal. Personal items weren't exactly encouraged for Black Ops agents and besides her mother's dog tags that were attached to her own, Tristan rarely kept things like this but now, a reminder of what she was fighting for was pretty important.

Tristan grabbed a piece of fudge and made her way to Dr T'Soni's quarters. Apparently, it had originally belonged to Miranda Lawson, the self-appointed Executive Officer from Cerberus and the woman in charge of the Lazarus Project. There was too much foot traffic for Tristan's tastes when Admiral Anderson originally offered her the office. The door hissed opened and revealed Dr T'Soni. She was staring intently at one of the many terminals. It was sometimes easy to forget this Asari was actually the Shadow Broker. The white hovering VI, Glyph, greeted Tristan brightly and Dr T'Soni looked up.

"Is there something you need, Agent Chase?" she asked tersely, her voice lightly coloured with irritation.

"As I understand it, the data from the Prothean Archives is a bit hard to decipher," Tristan answered. "I have training in reading and interpreting Intel so perhaps my perspective could help?"

Dr T'Soni was genuinely surprised by the offer. "Shepard isn't even convinced this device will work."

Tristan shrugged. "It _does_ appear to be too good to be true but Shepard has been battling this on all sides for three years. She died because of it and lost the man she loved. Now he is currently in the Medical Bay, unconscious, and in critical condition."

Dr T'Soni frowned. "I don't see how that relates."

"Shepard's scepticism is perhaps more frustration than anything. Frustration at Earth being in ruins, frustration with the Council and their hesitation, frustration that she can't do anything for Alenko…And then suddenly there may be a weapon that could actually destroy the Reapers and solve most of her problems. I don't think she wants to get her hopes up and then nothing comes of it, especially now. She just needs time to get her thoughts in order, Dr T'Soni," Tristan explained.

"Liara," she corrected.

Tristan smiled. "Very well, Liara. Would you like my help?"

Liara nodded and directed her to one of the terminals. The data was certainly challenging and most of the journey to the Citadel was spent trying to piece together enough information to present to the Council. Even with EDI's help, their progress was slow and it was frustrating. On one hand, they needed to get to the Citadel urgently because Alenko's condition worsened with each minute that passed by. On the other hand, they also needed more time to decipher the Prothean data otherwise the Council would never agree to help them. In the back of her mind, Tristan also worried about Shepard. She would likely be agonising over Alenko's condition and probably had found some way to blame herself for it. Tristan had to remind herself that the best way to help Shepard was to gather as much information as possible.

Slowly, the pieces started to come together like a huge puzzle. Just as Joker informed them that they had now entered the Widow System and would be arriving at the Citadel within the hour, Liara, Tristan and EDI had managed to piece together enough to form a blueprint – Tristan thought it was more of a 'greenprint' but that joke failed on an epic scale – for a huge construction. If successfully built, it could probably rival the Citadel in size. And yet, there was still something missing. It had only been referred to as 'the Catalyst' and it was needed for the device to work however there was no mention of where to find it or how to build it. At least they had something to present to the Council. Hopefully, it would be enough.

"Will you be joining us?" Liara asked as she copied the data to her omni-tool.

Tristan pretended to consider the question. "Thank you but no. I don't trust politicians so it may be safer for you and Shepard if I stay as far away as possible."

Liara smiled. "I understand. Thank you for your help, Tristan."

The _Normandy_ docked and as soon as the airlock opened, medical personnel rushed in and rushed out with Alenko. Shepard hurried after them to find out where they were taking him but was forced to hang back. Tristan, Liara and James hovered nearby. The waiting area had a few people sitting around. It was so quiet and peaceful that it was hard to believe the Reapers were currently attacking Earth. It made Tristan uneasy. Shepard had moved to lean on a nearby railing with her back towards the security checkpoint, presumably to gather her thoughts and try to be logical instead of worrying about Alenko…at least until the meeting was over.

Tristan was standing between Liara and James, suspiciously eyeing a nearby Keeper. Those things were just creepy. Giant bug-looking things supposedly created by the Reapers to help them gain access to the system…Tristan's thoughts were interrupted when James lightly nudged her arm to get her attention. Commander Armando-Owen Bailey of C-Sec had just arrived and was just finishing greeting Shepard. Tristan remembered that he had helped Shepard and the Drell assassin Thane to stop his son from assassinating a politician. Shepard respected him and Tristan had a suspicion that the feeling was mutual.

"…and escorting dignitaries around. No offense," Commander Bailey was saying.

Tristan was disappointed to miss the insult.

"None taken," Shepard replied. "Are you here to take us to the Council?"

Bailey starting walking towards the security checkpoint and the small group followed. He was passing along some information from the Council but Tristan's attention started to wander. If the Council had only listened… She focused on the conversation again when she heard "blah blah blah". He was extremely likeable.

"You might have time to go by the medical centre, if you want to check on progress over there," Commander Bailey added.

Shepard was noticeably relieved by the suggestion. "Thanks, I think I'll do that."

"You go on ahead," Liara replied. "I'll head up to Udina's office."

Commander Bailey provided her with directions to Udina's office and then looked to James. "You?"

"I'm just a tourist today," James answered. "I'll try not to get into any trouble."

Tristan smiled. Somehow she doubted James was capable of staying out of trouble. "I have some errands to run."

Commander Bailey said his farewells and Liara had already gone on ahead. Tristan offered Shepard a reassuring smile before she left for Huerta Memorial Hospital and James had also disappeared. Suddenly, Tristan was left alone in the waiting room with the creepy keeper. She spent a few moments trying to organise her thoughts and draw up a mental to-do list.

1. Buy something to send to Keira and Luca from the Citadel Souvenir Shop.

2. Get some lunch from the Apollo Café.

3. Shop around for upgrades for her M-3 Predator, M-4 Shuriken, M-92 Mantis and her armour that she still needed to repair.

4. Find somewhere to buy some fish for Shepard's fish tank to cheer her up

Tristan jumped when her radio picked up some static and was even more surprised when it was EDI's voice that followed.

"_Agent Chase, may I ask you for a favour? It concerns Commander Shepard."_

"Of course, EDI. What do you need?" Tristan replied. It was unusual for the AI to ask for help, unless it was Joker.

"_In anticipation of Commander Shepard's return, Joker and I wanted to get her a welcome back present. As the _Normandy_ does not have the space required for the dancers he suggested, I ordered an alternative,"_ the AI explained. _"All graduates of the N7 programme receive a commemorative hoodie after five years."_

Tristan nearly burst out laughing. Somehow, she managed to keep her voice even. "Good call, EDI. Shepard isn't one to appreciate dancers."

"_Thank you. The gift can be retrieved from the Alliance representative inside the Human Embassies. I also took the liberty to order some N7 grade weapons, just in case."_

"I like the way you think," Tristan complimented. "I have a few errands of my own to run and then I'll pick up your orders. And tell Joker when I get back, he and I are going to have a long conversation about appropriate gifts for Commander Shepard, just for future reference."

"_Of course, Agent Chase."_ There was a long pause. _"Thank you."_

Tristan made her way to the elevator and descended to the Presidium. A lot of people were milling about, aimlessly wandering around. Despite Earth being in ruins, it was business as usual here. It was unnerving how…serene the Presidium was and Tristan suddenly lost her appetite. On her left were some stalls maintained by the Volus as well as some Volus bankers. To her right was the staircase that led to the apartments, Apollo Café and the other stores. The souvenir shop was off to the right so Tristan headed that way. It took some time to decide what to buy but she eventually settled on an Alliance Kodiak model for Luca and a photo frame that changed pictures to various places on the Citadel for Keira. She also bought a blank datapad to write a message.

She continued to browse the stores for a while. Not many upgrades caught her attention and a Salarian gave her a weird look when she asked for advice on how to repair her armour after she was knocked to the floor with a piece of a Cerberus shuttle that had been thrown by a homicidal cyborg thing. After buying very little, she went to the stores near the Volus to buy some fish for Shepard. After scanning through the list, she settled on the very random jellyfish. They were fun to watch…or so Tristan thought. As she walked past another store, something caught her eye: an Aquarium VI. Intriguing. But it also cost 25 000 credits. Tristan considered the price. She wasn't short on credits, that was for sure – Black Ops paid extremely well - and it might be cheaper in the long run without needing to buy new fish every time they died. It would also be helpful to Shepard and wouldn't add on to her problems. She had enough to worry about without needing to think about whether or not she fed her fish.

Tristan bought the VI and made her way back to the elevator. She was halfway there when she realised she was hungry again. It would probably be beneficial to grab something to eat here, rather than the Alliance standard food rations. There was only so much fudge she could eat… The Apollo Café was rather empty. There were mostly humans there, a few Asari and one or two Turians. The menu was quite expansive and some sounded far too exotic, probably Asari delicacies or something. Going for a safe option, Tristan ordered a steak sandwich and set her shopping bags on the empty chair beside her. Now was as good a time as any to write a message on the datapad, before her thoughts started to get dark again.

_Dear Keira and Luca_

_By now, I'm sure you've heard the news about Earth. I'm alive and well so don't worry about me. I'm with Commander Shepard and we're trying to find help for the fight on Earth. We're not giving up. And don't watch the news – it's exaggerated. Mostly._

_We stopped by the Citadel so I got you something. I hope you like it. When there's time, I'll video chat with you both. Speaking of which, thank you for the fudge. It's absolutely superb. And Luca, thanks for the picture._

_Give my love to your mom. Stay safe._

_Love you_

_Tris_

There. Not too 'doom and gloom' and they knew she was safe. It would have to do. With her sandwich finished, she headed for the Human Embassies. As she exited the elevator, she once again collided with something hard and was unsurprised to find that she had walked into James yet again. He was definitely amused.

"You keep this up and I'll start to think you're doing it on purpose," he said teasingly.

Tristan smiled innocently. "Maybe I am."

James' grin grew a bit bigger and Tristan walked past him before he could make any other comment, towards the main desk. Lieutenant Vega was a good man and a great soldier – he knew what was right, he never backed down from a fight and he was solid while under fire - but he was also good looking and he knew it. That would cause trouble somewhere down the line. An older woman was speaking to an Asari about a soldier and Tristan was able to sidestep her to another Asari.

"Can I help you?" she asked brightly.

For a Human Embassy, there sure were a lot of Asari and Turians. "Yes, I'd like to send a package to my family. I'm with the Alliance." To prove it, Tristan casually reached under shirt and showed her dog tags.

The Asari nodded once after confirming the dog tags and passed a box and label to Tristan. Tristan carefully placed the items inside, sealed it and stuck the label neatly, dead centre. The Asari took the necessary credits and then took the package back. Her smile faltered for a brief second when she noticed Tristan hadn't left.

"Is…there something else?"

Tristan nodded. "Yes. I'm here to collect some packages for the _SSV_ _Normandy_. I'm Agent Tristan Chase, Provisional Executive Officer." She included 'provisional' because Commander Shepard had not yet confirmed her XO.

The Asari tapped the console. "Ah, yes. An N7 Hoodie and N7 Grade Weapons. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give the weapons to you but you can sign for them and I'll make sure they get delivered. Commander Shepard's Spectre status is still confirmed therefore the delivery will be marked as a priority."

"I understand."

The Asari passed Tristan two datapads to sign, one for the hoodie and one for the weapons. She passed them back and the Asari checked over everything. She bent low behind the counter and brought up a thin, square box.

"Everything appears to be in order. I shall pass along the paperwork and the weapons will be delivered shortly."

Tristan picked up the square box with her left hand and carried it beneath her arm. "Thank you."

With all of her errands complete and some jellyfish to deliver, Tristan made her way back to the _Normandy_. Shepard had not yet returned so Tristan snuck into the Loft with EDI's help. She placed the box with the hoodie on the bed and quickly installed the Aquarium VI before releasing the jellyfish. She took a step back to admire the fish tank. It had a certain calming effect, hopefully one Shepard would appreciate.

"_Are you sure that is a practical thing to spend credits on?"_ EDI asked disapprovingly from her perch near the door. _"Weapons are far more useful during times of war."_

Tristan smiled. "No but that's the point, EDI."

"_I do not understand."_

Tristan could almost picture the AI frowning. "The Commander has enough on her mind so something unpractical will provide a distraction. Something that doesn't need to be saved or have a problem solved. Something that's just here for Shepard to watch and admire."

"_I see."_

Tristan was pretty sure the AI didn't get it and would probably ask Joker for a further explanation. Speaking of Joker…Tristan took the elevator down one floor and made her way to the cockpit. Joker was still in his seat, tapping his consoles and making sure everything was still functioning. He hadn't heard her approach and jumped slightly when Tristan flicked the bill of his cap.

"Do you always have to sneak up on me like that?" he demanded as he looked over his shoulder.

Tristan shrugged innocently. "I like to keep you on your toes."

"Uh huh."

"By the way…dancers? _Really?_"

It was Joker's turn to shrug innocently. "It was only a suggestion."

"For Shepard or for you?" Tristan asked teasingly. She liked Joker. He was fun to be around…once you got past the 'I'm the best pilot in the Alliance' crap.

Joker turned to face the front again, probably to hide a smile. "For Shepard, of course."

Tristan smiled and shook her head. She did not believe him for a second. Just then, the airlock hissed open and Shepard boarded and made a beeline for the cockpit.

"Joker, call everyone back to the _Normandy_ and set a course for Palaven," Shepard ordered, her mood grim.

Tristan's earlier amusement vanished. "I'm guessing the meeting with the Council didn't go well."

Shepard shook her head. "No. They refuse to send help because they're struggling to protect their own homeworlds. The Turian Councillor suggested we get the Primarch and get him to a summit that the Salarians and Asari will also attend. Perhaps then we'll get some help."

"What did they think of the device?" Tristan asked.

"They don't believe it will work and won't even send scientists or engineers to help."

"Yes, because scientists are greatly needed for battle," Tristan replied sarcastically.

There was an almost smile. "I'm exhausted so I'm going to try catch some sleep. Tristan, you're in charge until then."

"W-why me?" she stammered. She had only been prepared to sign on under Admiral Anderson for short notice, until Shepard could be reinstated and the _Normandy_ had been completely retrofitted. Being front and centre was not her thing.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Last time I checked you were the Executive Officer."

"Yeah, under Admiral Anderson. But the _Normandy_ is now yours and you can choose your own XO. Generally speaking, I'm not suited for such I job. I don't even file reports," Tristan argued. "And technically speaking, I'm not even a Marine."

Shepard was silent for a moment. Her eyes flicked between Tristan and Joker. "Tris, the crew already regards you as the XO and you are a people person and a problem solver. Despite your arguments, you know how to be diplomatic and I know I can count on you to keep things running smoothly. You've had a lot of experience with making split second decisions and I trust you with my life. I believe you are over qualified to be my XO."

Tristan didn't like it but Shepard had a point.

"However…I have a proposal," Shepard continued. "Joker is also a senior officer and nobody knows the _Normandy_ like he does. How about we split the duties of the XO between the two of you? Tristan can handle the decision making, the people person stuff and any problems that come up. Joker can handle administrative duties and anything that concerns the _Normandy_."

It was an unexpected and unconventional proposal. It wasn't usual for Commander Nadine Shepard to circumvent Alliance protocol like that, perhaps a leftover from working with Cerberus. Tristan and Joker had both realised the seriousness of the topic and the decision that would follow and they could only stare at each other silently.

"_I agree with the Commander,"_ EDI added. _"The equal distribution of tasks will increase our overall efficiency, especially as the tasks are suited to both Jeff and Agent Chase's strengths."_

"I…suppose that could work," Tristan decided. "Joker?"

The helmsman was silent. "Why not?"

Tristan smiled. "So how about I'm the Executive and you're the Officer?"

"Deal."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "A reporter, Diana Allers, will be joining the crew. When she arrives, be sure she gets settled in."

Tristan was about to argue that a reporter on the _Normandy_ was NOT a good idea but Shepard had already reached the elevator. She must have been pretty exhausted.

"A reporter. Great," she muttered under her breath.

"_Agent Chase, Commander Shepard wishes me to tell you something,"_ EDI said.

"Oh? What is it?"

"_She wanted me to tell you 'thank you'."_

Tristan smiled however her smugness was short-lived as Diana Allers requested permission to board.

"As Executive and 'people person', I believe that falls into your area," Joker told her helpfully.

"Gee, you think?"

Tristan made her way towards the airlock and could have sworn she heard Joker snickering in his pilot's chair.


	5. Menae

**An update, finally. I sincerely apologise for the lack of updates lately. As I said in my profile, I had a lot of university work to do and then I was sick so I wasn't feeling up to writing. However, this chapter is now done. I should have an update for **_**Ghost from the Past**_** in the next few days, assuming things go according to plan. I'll make up for the updates I've missed somehow. Also, be warned that exams are coming up as well so, as of yet, I can't promise that I'll be able to stick to the original posting schedule. From this point until I tell you otherwise, consider both stories to be "posting whenever the chapter is done".**

**I apologise and I thank you for your patience and understanding. Also, May the Fourth be with you… (some **_**Star Wars**_** humour for you).**

**Chapter 5: Menae**

Shepard was a pretty skilled people person. In the short trip to the Citadel, she had somehow managed to recruit a reporter, Diana Allers, and the previous Chief Medical Officer of the _Normandy SR-1_ and the Cerberus _Normandy SR-2_, Dr Chakwas. The rest of the crew had also settled down a bit. Many of them had previously served under Commander Shepard aboard the _Normandy SR-1_ and they were grateful to be under her command yet again. It was also good news to everyone to know that Shepard was still loyal to the Alliance and that leaving Admiral Anderson on Earth had not been an act of rebellion but rather her following orders so she could form alliances to bring the fight back to Earth.

Any doubts crew members still had about Shepard evaporated as soon as word spread that they were headed to Palaven's moon, Menae, to extract the Primarch and get Turian aid. They were still a few hours out and the Commander had put that time to good use. She had already updated Admiral Hackett, spoken to Specialist Traynor, checked in with Liara, made sure Dr Chakwas was settled, had a chat with Chief Engineer Adams, got introduced to Lieutenant Cortez and had a sparring match with Lieutenant Vega. Tristan had to admit, she approved of the way Shepard ran things. She got to know the crew, beyond the strengths and weaknesses of people. It was refreshing to see, not that Tristan was planning on getting friendly with the entire crew. It just wasn't the type of crew member she was – generally, she would get dropped off by a different crew for every mission.

Tristan had watched the sparring between Shepard and James before discreetly making her way to the Medical Lab. Dr Chakwas, since re-joining the crew, had been making time to examine the crew members and make sure everyone was fit to fight. Her first concern had been the helmsman with his Vrolik's Syndrome and then Commander Shepard, making sure the Cerberus implants were still functioning. Liara had been next then James and now it was Tristan's turn. Those participating in the groundside missions were the priority which made sense and regular medical check-ups were all part of the job, especially for Black Ops as the agents needed to be at the top of their game for the whole mission. An injured or sick Black Ops agent was a dead Black Ops agent.

The doors slid open smoothly and Tristan looked around the room. The Medical Lab was still pretty much the same as before, only Dr Chakwas must have brought along an entire library with her. Files and datapads were filed neatly on the desk behind her computer terminal and any empty shelf also had books and even more files. There were only a few personal effects near her terminal and the rest of the Medical Lab had been organised with an experienced hand. Dr Chakwas was sitting in her swivel chair with her back towards the door.

"You sent for me, Doctor?" Tristan asked as the door slid closed behind her.

Doctor Chakwas swivelled in her chair to face her. "Agent Chase, I was expecting you sooner."

"Sorry. I got…distracted, lost track of time," Tristan answered with a shrug. She had been curious to see who would win the spar: Shepard or James.

Doctor Chakwas indicated that Tristan should take a seat on a nearby medical table and retrieved the necessary datapad. As she got to her feet, she quickly scanned through Tristan's medical files with a neutral expression. Tristan watched the doctor closely. There was a silent confidence in her posture and the way she walked, leading Tristan to believe that Dr Chakwas had a lot of experience working on Alliance vessels. If Dr Chakwas was surprised by the extensive list of injuries, she kept it from her face. Perhaps she understood what was needed in this line of work. There was also no sign of intimidation either. She was used to giving stubborn Marines orders. Tristan got the distinct impression that this woman was not to be ignored.

"According to your file, you underwent the surgery to upgrade your L3 implant to an L5x implant," Dr Chakwas stated.

Tristan nodded. "If I find myself in a situation where I can't use weapons, I need to be confident that my biotics are up to the job."

"You are aware of the risks associated with the surgery?"

"Of course, Doctor. Every time I go on a mission, I run the risk of getting killed. This wasn't much different," Tristan answered easily.

Dr Chakwas pursed her lips but otherwise did not comment. Instead, she took out her omni-tool and started to scan Tristan's implant to make sure everything was still functioning as it should. Once Dr Chakwas was satisfied that the implant was still perfectly functioning, she returned her attention to the datapad.

"Commander Shepard's report of the events on Mars mention you were injured," Dr Chakwas continued.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. How could she forget? Commander Shepard _never_ left out any details in her reports. "It's just a scratch, Doctor."

Dr Chakwas gave Tristan a disapproving look. Tristan sighed and gingerly lifted up her shirt. Her whole side was a mixture of blues, purples and blacks with the scratch. Tristan hated to admit it but it was worse than she realised. Dr Chakwas silently got to work, applying medi-gel to the scratch and the large bruise. Tristan decided it was best not to watch and looked away, feeling the dull throbbing fade away slowly. After a few minutes, Tristan looked back at Dr Chakwas and then down at her side. The bruise had faded and the worst of it was still around the scratch. It wasn't as big as before and even the scratch was shorter. Tristan looked at the doctor suspiciously. She was pretty sure they both used the same medi-gel and yet, Dr Chakwas had managed to accomplish even more. The medical exam wasn't over as Dr Chakwas brought out her omni-tool again and started to run basic tests.

"Everything is in order, Agent Chase," Dr Chakwas said at length as she deactivated her omni-tool.

Tristan slid off the table. "Excellent. Thanks, Doc."

Dr Chakwas nodded in reply and returned to her desk. Tristan took that as her cue to leave and went to grab a cup of tea in the Mess Hall. She had been sitting at the table for a little while before Shepard sat down opposite her. Apparently, Shepard had embraced the fact that she was reinstated because her hair was tied back in a regulation bun, even on her off duty hours. She was dressed in the standard Alliance casual pants and her new N7 hoodie. She was still exhausted, despite the sleep she had tried to get when they first left the Citadel.

"Well, you look like crap," Tristan pointed out helpfully.

Shepard gave her a look. "You always say the nicest things."

Tristan smirked in amusement, despite her worry. Shepard obviously wasn't sleeping well, probably due to bad dreams and the whole "save the galaxy" mission probably wasn't helping. Major Alenko's condition was still unknown too. Shepard definitely had a lot on her mind and asking the obvious question "How are you?" would not improve her mood.

"I want an honest answer, Tris," Shepard abruptly demanded.

Uh oh. A conversation that started like that never went well.

"When am I ever otherwise?" Tristan asked innocently and received a pointed look. "…fair enough. What's the question?"

"Why did you really leave Arcturus Station?"

"What makes you think it wasn't because I was joyriding?" Tristan asked conversationally.

Shepard snorted. "You may act like you break the rules all the time but I know you well enough to know that only about a third of your rule breaking stories are true."

"You have a point," Tristan allowed. "So I wasn't joyriding around Arcturus. The true version is far more boring and I didn't exactly leave voluntarily either."

"Tell me."

Tristan smiled. "After it became pretty obvious that you were working with Cerberus and had contacted me a few times, everyone was keeping a close eye on me, even if they couldn't prove anything or catch me in the act. They were worried I was either going to leave the Alliance and join your crew or send you information you shouldn't have. The Alliance would send me on job after job to keep be busy or too tired to do anything to help you. After Horizon, it became pretty obvious that you had been telling the truth about the Collectors. Admirals Anderson and Hackett decided you might have been onto something about the Collectors and the Reapers so they put together a group of various backgrounds and disciplines to data mine anything and everything that may have possibly provided some insight. There were soldiers, researchers, scientists, doctors, weapon specialists, engineers…you name it, and they were there. At the time, I was on Arcturus, recuperating. I had been injured in my previous mission so I was assigned to the group. At first, there wasn't much going on. But then…things started to get tense."

Shepard leant back in her chair. "How so?"

"I made no secret of my trust in you. Eventually, as we got more and more reports of what you were up to, a few of the other personnel started to bad mouth you. They called you a traitor, among other things, and I…may have lost my cool a few times."

"You never lost faith in me?" Shepard suddenly asked. "Even when I worked for Cerberus?"

Tristan pondered her cup of tea for a moment. She did promise to be honest. "At first, I was furious when I heard you were working for Cerberus. I felt betrayed and alone."

"But that passed?"

"After about a week or so, I realised something very important. You're Commander Shepard. You always do what's right and not what's easy. If you decided to work with Cerberus, there would be an excellent reason behind it. If I listed everything you ever did, every decision you made…it made perfect sense. I didn't have all the facts, I didn't know your mission or your crew but I know you and that was enough. I figured you would find a way to contact me and explain everything. You didn't disappoint," Tristan answered.

There was a small smile. "So how does this result in you leaving Arcturus?"

Tristan shrugged. "I punched a superior officer. He was saying so many bad things about you and he didn't even know you. It was just after the incident in Batarian Space. Apparently, he thought, that after Elysium you hated Batarians so much that you decided to commit genocide."

Shepard frowned. "I suppose I should thank you for defending my honour."

It was Tristan's turn to snort. "Don't thank me. I'd been looking for an excuse to punch him for years. Anyway, after that, I was suspended and placed under observation for 'anger issues' and 'symptoms of PTSD' (she even used air apostrophes here) because, officially, there wasn't much else they could do. Technically, I'm not a soldier even though I work for the Alliance so I can't be punished in the same manner and because I know a lot of the Alliance's dirty little secrets, they were hesitant to relieve me of duty. Admiral Hackett found a way to please everyone. After the incident, he and Admiral Anderson believed you 100% and were trying to find a way to get you reinstated so Admiral Hackett temporarily transferred me to Admiral Anderson's command as his Executive Officer because they knew they could trust me and I would do anything to help you. As the _Normandy_ was dry docked in Vancouver, that's where I was posted."

"Wasn't it unconventional to have a non-soldier as an XO?" Shepard asked.

"Oh yeah," Tristan answered after taking a sip of her tea. "Admiral Hackett pulled some strings and as long as I was off Arcturus and not punching Alliance officers, everyone was happy."

Shepard smiled. "How did the crew treat you?"

"Apparently, my reputation precedes me so quite a few were intimidated by me. The same could not be said for Mr Moreau and his AI minion," Tristan said, making him sound like an evil genius.

"I thought EDI pretended to be a VI?"

"She did but for some or other reason, Joker decided that I was here to replace you, not realising I was actually trying to help you. After that, it didn't take long to figure out EDI is an unshackled, fully aware AI with all of the pranks they continually pulled on me."

Shepard's smile grew bigger. "What sort of pranks?"

"The elevator getting stuck between floors or going to the completely wrong floors. Some urgent emails arriving days late. A few times, my alarm clock never went off so I was late for important meetings. Sometimes the hot water in the shower would stop working or the water would shut off completely when I still had shampoo in my hair. When I tried to sleep, the lights in my room would turn on or they would turn off when I tried to work. Little things like that."

"I'm surprised you didn't shoot Joker," Shepard teased.

Tristan smiled. "I was tempted when I figured out what was going on."

"How _did_ you manage to figure it out? Joker can be quite protective when it comes to EDI."

Tristan's smile faded and she realised she did not think this through. "It's not really important, Nads. Perhaps we can pick this conversation up some other time?"

"Tristan."

That was her Commander voice. Tristan sighed. "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you…"

_4 months earlier…_SSV Normandy, _Vancouver._

_Tristan walked quickly down the corridor towards Engineering and found Engineer Adams at his console._

"_You sent for me?" she asked as she approached._

_Engineer Adams straightened as he turned to face his superior. At this point, pretty much everyone was still intimidated by Tristan and her reputation and very few knew how to approach her. Whispered conversations would end abruptly at her approach and start again once she left. A few crew members would approach her with problems, the majority preferring to keep their distance. Conversations were only about work and only one or two, mainly Joker, were brave enough to attempt jokes around her._

"_Yes, Agent Chase. You requested an update and I just got the readouts from the drive core," Engineer Adams answered and handed her a datapad._

_Tristan curiously looked at the datapad and her eyebrows shot up. "Cerberus managed to increase the output?"_

"_Say what you will about Cerberus, they sure know how to build ships," the engineer answered and then realised what he had said and to whom._

_Tristan smiled. "Relax, Adams. You are right though, they sure do know how to build them. I've seen similar improvements in other areas, like the armour and the kinetic barriers."_

_Engineer Adams visibly relaxed. The wrong person could have taken the innocent statement in the wrong way and he could have been accused of treason or his loyalty to the Alliance would have been questioned. However, before their conversation could continue, they were interrupted by the ship's VI in her calm voice which Specialist Traynor had often complimented. The R&D specialist must not have gotten out of the lab much._

::Agent Chase, your presence is required in the cockpit. Urgently.::

_Tristan raised an eyebrow and handed the datapad back to Engineer Adams. "Keep up the good work and let me know if you find anything else of interest. Excuse me."_

_She quickly retraced her steps to the elevator and when the doors slid open onto the bridge, a few things were amiss. Any personnel that were supposed to be stationed there, working on various projects, had disappeared. This was odd because it was still early in the day and quite a few people were supposed to be working on the Galaxy Map and in the cockpit. There were also loud voices coming from the direction of the cockpit. One definitely belonged to Mr Moreau, the other was unknown. Tristan quickly jogged towards the front of the ship and slid to a stop in surprise. Mr Moreau's chair was facing the corridor and he was loudly arguing with another man: tall, dark hair, Alliance uniform and an extremely angry expression. It took Tristan a few moments to realise this was Kaidan Alenko. Mr Moreau's guards had also vanished._

_Tristan looked at Alenko suspiciously. An advantage to being a Black Ops agent was she always moved silently so her presence was still unnoticed. The dark lighting also helped to hide her._

"_It's your fault Shepard was working for Cerberus in the first place!" Alenko yelled at the helmsman._

_Mr Moreau's face fell out of guilt and Tristan decided to intervene. Mr Moreau, as annoying as he was, was in Tristan's custody and he worked better when he was in a good mood. Not to mention, he had unwavering loyalty to Shepard. It was only fair to come to his rescue. She walked forward and cleared her throat dramatically, much to their surprise._

"_Is there something I can help you with, Mr…?" Tristan asked calmly, clasping her hands behind her back and knowing exactly who this man was – her training always taught her to keep the advantage on her side and never let an opponent know all of the cards you hold, so to speak._

_Alenko gave her a quick once over, noticing the lack of Alliance uniform. "It's major," he corrected angrily. "Major Alenko. And this matter doesn't concern you, Miss. Move along."_

_Tristan raised an eyebrow. Alenko had refocused his attention on Joker, assuming that she would get the hint and leave. She didn't follow anyone's orders, except for Admirals Anderson and Hackett. This man was sorely mistaken if he believed he could tell her what to do on her ship…well, Anderson's ship. She crossed her arms in front of her chest._

"_All right, _Major_. You seem to be confused by a few things so allow me to correct you," she said evenly. "First of all, it's agent. Agent Chase."_

_Alenko's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I have Anderson's permission to be here."_

_Tristan rolled her eyes. "You didn't let me finish. Secondly, as Executive Officer of the _SSV Normandy SR-2_, this is my ship and Mr Moreau is in my custody while Admiral Anderson is ashore working to get Miss Shepard reinstated. Therefore, my orders are to be followed, not yours. If Admiral Anderson had granted you permission to come aboard, he would have informed me before your arrival. However, I suppose it is possible that I missed the message. EDI?"_

_Alenko looked in confusion while Mr Moreau's surprise had quickly changed to amusement._

::How may I be of assistance, Agent Chase?::

_There was something odd about the message. Meanwhile, Alenko's anger had been replaced by some other emotion._

"_Is there any record of Admiral Anderson granting Major Alenko permission to come aboard?"_

::I have no record of any such message, Agent Chase.::

"_Thank you, EDI. So, I'll ask you again, what is your business here, aside from annoying me?"_

_Alenko looked from Tristan to Mr Moreau and back to Tristan again. There was no answer. Luckily, Mr Moreau still wasn't sure about Tristan and therefore did not further antagonize the Major._

"_Very well, Major. I will have to request your immediate departure before I call someone to escort you. This ship is off limits to all personnel, including Alliance soldiers, until further notice or unless you are granted Admiral Anderson's permission which I recommend you get in future because next time I may not be in such a good mood," she ordered with authority._

_Major Alenko gave her a furious look before turning towards the airlock. As soon as he was off the ship, Mr Moreau looked at Tristan._

"_That was awesome," he cheered._

_Tristan smiled and turned her gaze to the helmsman. "For the record, Shepard doesn't blame you for anything that happened."_

_Mr Moreau stared at her in shock. "How do you know?"_

"_She's like a sister to me," Tristan answered dismissively. "Now, Mr Moreau, I believe you owe me."_

_Mr Moreau continued to stare at her blankly. "…what?"_

_Tristan smiled. "EDI isn't really a VI."_

_The helmsman paled as a blue orb appeared beside him._

::How did you know?::

"_VIs are programmed to call people by their names based on their identification and these names are not stored in a database therefore a VI will need to continually scan a person to check their identity."_

"_So…?" Mr Moreau asked._

"_I'm not wearing any ID," Tristan answered. "And, judging from your expression, you didn't tell EDI to call me to come to your rescue."_

::You are correct in your assumptions, Agent Chase. I am a fully aware, unshackled artificial intelligence. Jeff had me pose as a virtual intelligence to protect me. I apologise for the deception.::

_Mr Moreau put his hand over his face and shook his head. "Nice going, EDI."_

_Tristan smirked. "It's not a problem, EDI. I understand. I use deception on a daily basis. My orders, for the time being, are to oversee the retrofit of the _Normandy_ and to assist in any way that I can that will lead to Shepard's reinstatement. As far as I am concerned, EDI falls under neither of those therefore I don't have to report anything. Just…no more pranks."_

"_Deal," Mr Moreau agreed._

"_Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go in search of the other crew members, including your guards. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about them."_

_End of flashback._

Tristan risked a glance at Shepard. She didn't want to mention Alenko, especially in a negative light…well, not until after he woke up at any rate. It was hard to tell how she would react when Alenko was mentioned. Right now, her eyes were focused on the table and she was very quiet.

"He still blames Joker?" she eventually asked.

Tristan shrugged. "I don't know if you've noticed but I'm not one to learn the details of people's lives. I can't answer that question; you'll have to ask Joker."

"I'm surprised you would find a loophole in your orders to help Joker," Shepard said and looked up with a hint of amusement.

"I don't like people telling me what to do so I won't pass up the chance to not follow orders. Admiral Hackett doesn't seem to mind though," Tristan answered. "Besides, Joker had your back when I couldn't – I figure I owe him for getting you back from the Omega-4 Relay." _More or less._

Shepard smiled though it quickly faded when she thought about another question. "You never thought I was crazy?"

Much to Shepard's surprise, Tristan started to laugh. "Of course I think you're crazy, Nads. Just not the kind of crazy everyone else thinks you are. In our line of work, we can't exactly be normal. Me? I'm completely insane, as you no doubt saw when we faced the turret on Mars. And you? You've gone on two suicide missions and survived. You defeated Saren, destroyed Sovereign, were brought back to life, defeated a race of angry mutant bugs, faced down with another Reaper and bought Earth some time by yourself. You did all of this with a mismatched crew that no one else would have managed to use, including Krogan, Turian, Quarian, Asari, Drell and a freaking Geth. And you took on the Shadow Broker and helped an Asari _archaeologist _take over as the information broker. Does any of that sound normal to you?"

"When you put it that way…I suppose not," Shepard admitted with a small smile.

Tristan shrugged and leant back in her chair. "Trust me, with all the stuff that's going on, this universe could use a little crazy."

Shepard's smile grew bigger and they descended into silence – not an awkward silence but rather the silence two friends enjoy while taking the time to ponder what would come next. Tristan was still a bit amused by the fact that Alenko hadn't recognised her or her name, perhaps he had been too angry at the time to really think about anything she said.

_::Commander, we're coming up on Menae.::_

Shepard was silent for a moment. "How does it look?"

_::Not good. The Reapers are hitting the Turians hard.::_

"Thanks, Joker. Tell James and Liara to suit up," she said and then looked at Tristan. "You too."

Tristan didn't say a word as she got to her feet. She put her empty cup away before heading down to her quarters. There were certain advantages to having her office so close to the shuttles and getting into her hardsuit quickly was one of them. The air in Menae was breathable for humans so the helmets were not necessary. Even so, Tristan made sure her hair was tied back into a tight ponytail. It was annoying when you tried to shoot something and you miss your shot because your hair gets in the way. The tear in her hardsuit had been repaired and it looked as though it would hold just fine. She headed outside to grab her pistols and knife, finding James and Liara doing the same thing. It wasn't long until they were all sitting in the shuttle on their way to the Turian moon.

Lieutenant Cortez – or Esteban as James called him – was piloting. Shepard, Liara and Tristan were sitting in the back of the shuttle while James preferred to stand. At first, everything seemed to be going smoothly and then the turbulence started. Tristan _really_ hated turbulence and she also hated to admit it would make her feel queasy. If she was under fire…that was a different story. Right now though, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on happy thoughts to distract herself. After a few minutes, Shepard ordered James to open the hatch while she prepared her shotgun. _Now_ they were talking. Tristan stood up and prepped her own pistol, itching to kill something.

The shuttle door was opened and the surface of the moon was revealed. There were a few small Turian outposts near the landing zone and a whole lot of husks – some were running across the open terrain in their flailing manner or they were climbing up the cliff faces in the way that made Tristan think about one of her nephew's favourite comic book superheroes. Shepard and Tristan shared a look, a plan forming in their minds. Without a word, Shepard knelt down in front of the open hatch and opened fire with her shotgun, trying to thin the number of husks the Turians would have to deal with later. Tristan took up position just behind Shepard and started to fire with her pistol, sending the occasional warp at them when she had to change clips.

Lieutenant Cortez steered the shuttle into the landing zone and they quickly jumped out, Liara and James getting their guns ready as they did so. Tristan took a moment to glance around. For the time being, it appeared that they had managed to clear the area of any husks.

"All right, get in, get out," Shepard ordered. "Let's move."

A small Turian outpost was nearby and they started to approach it to get some directions. They were maybe halfway there when more husks started to charge the pair of Turians that were stationed there. Tristan sent a Warp at the husk in front, Liara threw out a singularity to stop the husks from getting too close to the Turians and Shepard sent an Incinerate at the one bringing up the rear. James started to fire at the husks caught in Liara's singularity. The area was cleared in record time. One by one, they pulled themselves up a small ledge and approached the Turian outpost.

"Soldier, which way to your commanding officer?" Shepard asked one of the Turians.

"Straight ahead and around the corner, past the first barricade," the soldier answered quickly, not surprised in the least by the sudden arrival of three humans and an Asari.

Shepard led the way towards the camp. The sounds of battle echoed from all directions. Turian fighters whipped by overhead and some were shot down by distant Reapers. This certainly did not bode well. When they looked up, they had a clear view of Palaven and the amount of destruction that was being caused. Certain areas were burning and it could be seen from the moon. Tristan was suddenly glad they wouldn't have to fight on Palaven; she didn't think they would last very long down there, even with Shepard leading them. Explosions and gunfire erupted all around them as they steadily approached one of the larger camps. Tristan mused that the terrain would probably work to the Turians' advantage, as far as the husks were concerned. The husks relied on close quarters for damage and the uneven surface would probably slow them down. A Reaper was nearby on the horizon and its movements caught the attention of the small squad.

"That Reaper is enormous," Liara pointed out helpfully.

Tristan wanted to reply sarcastically that if the Reapers were tiny, then this wouldn't be a problem but James cut her off. "Saw bigger ones on Earth. A whole lot of them."

"Goddess," Liara responded quietly.

Tristan bit her tongue to keep herself from replying. Shepard had mentioned before that the Asari could be childlike or naïve in certain scenarios as she was still seen as a child by other Asari, being only 109 years old so it wasn't entirely her fault. Tristan wanted to ask what exactly the Asari had been expecting, in terms of size, but they entered the camp before she could ask her question. It was perhaps for the better. Some Turian sentries let them go through a very scorched barrier into the camp. It appeared as though the barriers were doing their jobs because there was little destruction in the actual camp however all of the Turians were very grim.

A few stations had been spread throughout the camp: a medical area, a place for the soldiers they had lost in battle, ammo stores, a workbench and then what Tristan assumed was the Command Post with maps and a very serious Turian. Shepard also saw him and made straight for him. He was talking with two other Turians and giving them orders as Shepard approached. Shepard and Liara had walked up so they were standing beside the Turian while James and Tristan remained at the foot of the stairs, waiting for orders.

"General," Shepard greeted once she was within earshot.

The Turian briefly glanced up from his map. "Commander Shepard. Heard you were coming but I didn't believe it. General Corinthus."

"I've come to get Primarch Fedorian."

General Corinthus paused for a moment. "Primarch Fedorian is dead. His shuttle was shot down an hour ago as it tried to leave this moon."

Even though this wasn't the best news, Tristan had to wonder if the Reapers had specifically targeted the Primarch or if it had just been a lucky shot. Either option was a possibility.

Shepard looked around uneasily. "Well, that certainly complicates things."

She continued to discuss the current situation on Menae with the General. Tristan was no military strategist so she continued to examine the camp. There were a lot of weapons and ammo lying about, perhaps as a last line of defence. A handful of other Turians were also in the camp and their focus was on their assigned tasks. Idle chatter was kept to a minimum. The Turian army might be the most powerful in the galaxy but they also seemed to be the most boring. The Krogan, at least, knew how to have fun. Tristan focused on the conversation again when it was about their current mission.

"What happens now?" Shepard asked quietly, trying to think up a Plan B while still working with Plan A.

Tristan was surprised when Liara answered the question. "The Turian Hierarchy provides very clear lines of succession."

Tristan could only look at the Asari wordlessly. How could she possibly know about the political comings and goings of the Turians yet have no idea about the size of Reapers? Shepard looked to the General for confirmation of this new information.

"With such heavy casualties, it's hard for me to be certain who the new Primarch is," General Corinthus explained as he tapped away at his various devices. "Palaven Command will know. However, at the moment, contacting them is impossible. The comm. tower is out. Husks are swarming the area. We can't get close enough to repair it."

"And now Shepard will volunteer us to go fix the thing," Tristan whispered softly.

Shepard considered the situation for a moment. "We'll get your tower operational."

James chuckled softly and Tristan smirked. Sometimes Shepard was so predictable, it was almost painful.

"Thank you, Commander," General Corinthus replied. "I'll take care of things on this end."

"All right, let's go," Shepard ordered as she turned around and then frowned when she saw Tristan and James' expressions.

They were like a pair of troublemakers and Shepard shook her head in exasperation, suddenly feeling like she was babysitting the pair and not commanding them. She led the way out of the Camp and set the pace to a light jog so they could get there quickly without being too tired. The others followed – Liara was right behind, followed by Tristan and James was bringing up the rear. They headed through a barricade on the other side of the camp and came upon a small group of injured Turian soldiers, one of which had just received orders from General Corinthus. Apparently, there were more husks around the communications tower. This was about to get fun. Tristan took a moment to make sure her pistol had a full clip and then swapped it for her automatic pistol.

They continued on their way and were soon set upon by husks. There weren't many of them so it was reasonably easy to defeat them, alternating between guns, biotics and tech attacks. Once the area was a husk free zone, they approached the tower. Shepard headed directly for the console and tapped its keyboard, trying to get a read on how damaged it was.

"We can't repair it from this panel," she announced in annoyance and turned to face her three companions. "I'll go up and try to fix it myself. Keep the husks from following me up otherwise, Tristan, you're in charge."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's the best idea?"

Shepard shrugged. "Between the four of us, I'm the only one with training in repairing technology."

"I meant putting me in charge," Tristan replied with a small smile.

Shepard rolled her eyes and turned around to start climbing the ladder. Tristan loaded her pistol with a fresh clip and took up a position right in front of the ladder, in case any husks got close enough. She then signalled to Liara to stand a bit behind her so she could use her biotics from a safe distance and then signalled James to let him know he was taking point with his shotgun. Liara and James took their positions without complaint. Small explosions erupted in various directions, signalling the arrival of the husks. They quickly adapted their earlier tactics for this scenario: Liara would send out a singularity a slight distance away and at a point where the husks would run past. James, Liara and Tristan would then use their guns to kill the husks that were caught in the gravitational pull of the singularity. If need be, Tristan and Liara would also use other biotic abilities to compensate for those husks that avoided the singularity.

"I've repaired the main connection," Shepard's voice suddenly came over the radios after a short amount of time. "I'm on my way down."

Tristan quickly glanced over her shoulder and found Shepard carefully descending the ladder. There were still husks coming in and Shepard's shotgun soon joined the battle. When there was some breathing room, Shepard contacted the General to let him know communications were up and running and that they would continue to fight the husks until he had news for them. It sounded like a solid plan, for the time being. Wave after wave of husks started to come at them but it wasn't something they couldn't handle. Tristan's clip ran out just as a husk charged at her so she calmly took out her knife and threw it biotically at the husk. Once the knife was sheathed again, she replaced the clip and continued to fire. With the large numbers of husks and how easily they were to defeat, especially with the current squad, Tristan's knife mostly went unused in the battle.

_::Commander Shepard, come in.::_

General Corinthus finally made contact, just as the husks stopped coming.

"Go ahead," Shepard replied as she reloaded her shotgun.

_::I have information from Palaven Command. Please return ASAP.::_

"On our way."

They each quickly looked around the area to make sure there weren't any husks that they may have missed. Once they were satisfied that everything that could be shot had been shot, Shepard led the way back to the Camp.

"What's your count?" Tristan suddenly asked Shepard.

Shepard smirked. "Twenty-two."

Tristan scoffed. "Forty six."

"I _did_ go fix the Tower," Shepard suddenly argued. "And the husks pulled into Liara's singularity don't count."

"I know," Tristan replied smugly. "I didn't count them."

Shepard sighed in annoyance and continued to lead the way in sulky silence, much to Tristan and James's amusement and Liara's confusion.


	6. The Primarch

**I am sorry for the long delay. As I have said in my profile and in an update in my other story, exams are right around the corner for me (I write my first one next week) however my last one is on the 15****th**** of June, after which I can return to the normal once a week update. I am sorry for the delay and for all of the updates I have missed.**

**The earlier chapters have also been updated. Shepard's background is no longer Spacer but Earthborn. This just makes more sense in my mind and would help add more to Tristan's hatred of Cerberus if her brother had died on Akuze as he was her only family. This chapter also has a lot of game dialogue but I changed what I could so hopefully it isn't too boring.**

**Thank you for the reviews, alerts and favourites. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Chapter 6: The Primarch**

They made their way back to the Camp in silence, with Shepard still sulking in the lead. Tristan was more amused than she should have been but a sulky Shepard was quite a funny and rare sight. Tristan was fully aware that if Shepard hadn't gone to repair the Communications Tower, it was very likely that their moods would have been reversed. Then again, it had been quite a few years since they were in a gunfight together. When they returned to the camp, Shepard once again went to stand beside the General while James, Liara and Tristan remained at the foot of the stairs. Tristan guessed it was going to be a long conversation so she took a seat on a nearby rock.

While Shepard and General Corinthus started to discuss the situation, Tristan's attention was caught by another Turian who was slowly approaching the General's station. He was wearing blue and silver armour, clutching a sniper rifle in his talons. There was a visor over his eye and scars on the right side of his face that had faded considerably. When Shepard noticed the other Turian approaching, her sulky mood evaporated quickly.

"How many of her old crew members are we going to cross paths with?" Tristan wondered aloud.

Liara looked at her curiously and then followed her line of sight, also noticing the Turian. Her face brightened in a similar manner and Tristan shared a confused look with James. She was glad to know she wasn't the only one confused. Even General Corinthus greeted the new Turian with respect. Although Tristan was out of earshot, she did notice General Corinthus stiffen his posture in a more militaristic way than how he had regarded Shepard. Liara walked over to stand behind Shepard so they could greet the Turian together. Tristan and James hung back while they greeted each other enthusiastically. After a few moments, they approached.

"James, Tristan, this is Garrus Vakarian," Shepard introduced and James and Tristan greeted him with a handshake. "He helped me stop the Collectors. He's a hell of a soldier."

The name definitely sounded familiar. Liara then greeted Garrus warmly. Noticing the obvious friendship between Garrus and Liara made Tristan realise Garrus had been there since the beginning – the headstrong, C-Sec Officer that Shepard wasn't sure it would be a good idea to bring along. How far they had come. The conversation quickly turned from the friendly greetings of past companions and polite introductions of new companions to the status of Palaven and the new Primarch: someone by the name of Victus. They were all standing close together in the small space. Tristan was casually leaning against the railing of the station, content to watch the conversation.

"Victus?" Liara asked hesitantly. "His name's crossed my desk."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "The name is also familiar to me, though I can't quite place it."

"Know him, Garrus?" Shepard asked, after giving Liara and Tristan a curious look.

"I was fighting alongside him this morning," the Turian answered. "Lifelong military. Gets results. Popular with his soldiers. Not so popular with military command; has a reputation for playing loose with military strategy."

Tristan snapped her fingers in a gesture of recognition. "That's why I know the name. I've heard a lot about his strategies, they sound quite effective."

Shepard shot her a curious look but chose to ask Garrus for answers. Liara and Garrus related an interesting story to Shepard about Salarian spies and the Turian separatists; how Victus had discovered the spies and had allowed the separatists and the spies fight it out without losing a man. It was an interesting and effective tactic if done right but, as General Corinthus pointed out, not everyone agreed with them. Shepard then asked the next important question: whether or not Victus could be trusted.

"We both know conventional strategies won't beat the Reapers," Garrus answered. "Right now, he could be our best shot. And I trust him."

Apparently, that was good enough for Shepard. "All right. Let's find him, get him on the shuttle and get out of here."

_::Commander! Shepard? Come in!::_

Joker's voice over the radio had been unexpected, especially sounding as panicked as he did. Something big must be wrong.

Shepard put a finger to her radio. "Can this wait, Joker?"

The small group left the station and formed a rough circle so they could all know what was going on.

_::We've got a situation on the _Normandy_, Commander. It's like she's possessed: shutting down systems, powering up weapons. I can't find the source.::_

"Have you tried switching it off and then on again?" Tristan supplied helpfully.

Shepard shot her a look and otherwise ignored the suggestion, even as the others smiled. "I need the _Normandy_ standing by, especially if things get worse."

"Should I go back and take a look?" Liara volunteered, probably to get away from the annoying agent.

"Please," Shepard answered, making the word sound like an order. Liara ran back in the direction of the shuttle. "Garrus, you said you were with Victus this morning?"

"Yeah but we got separated," Garrus replied. "He went to bolster a flank that was breaking. He could be anywhere out there."

A loud whooshing noise suddenly echoed, cutting off whatever the General was about to say. They all looked skyward and found a huge, bug-like creature that had been Reaper-fied fly over them.

"A Harvester!" James warned. "It's headed for the airfield."

The Harvester started to fly low over the camp and Tristan had to hit the ground in a very undignified manner to dodge the creepy bug, its legs narrowly missing her head. Everyone that could fire a gun tried to shoot the thing down. Unfortunately, it didn't work too well. The Harvester then circled and doubled back, dropping something off just beyond the camp. Shepard turned to face Corinthus while Tristan got back to her feet, dusting her hardsuit off.

"General, tell Primarch Victus we'll rendezvous here," she ordered. "In the meantime, we'll take care of whatever that thing dropped off."

Tristan raised an eyebrow, trying to decide whether this was going to be fun…or suicidal. Not that those two things were completely different in her mind.

Shepard silently thought about the fight they were about to face and turned to look at Garrus again. "You up for this, Garrus?"

Garrus checked his sniper rifle and loaded another bullet into the chamber. "Are you kidding? I'm right behind you."

Tristan liked this Turian and Shepard grinned at his answer. Together, they jogged through the camp towards the spot that the Harvester had landed briefly. James seemed to have a hard time keeping up, a fact that Shepard noticed almost immediately and decided to tease the occasionally cocky lieutenant. Apparently, this reunion with Garrus had really improved her mood. Tristan made a mental note to get to know him better. If he could get Shepard smiling, he would definitely be worth knowing. They went through another barricade and stumbled into a small rocky area. A few outcroppings could provide cover and there was a cliff edge a few metres ahead. The Turians had also placed thick metal between rocks to provide extra cover.

As they drew closer, large fireballs exploded just in front of them which usually signalled the arrival of husks. Tristan prepared her pistol and looked up…to find vaguely Turian shapes ahead of her. There was a moment of confusion before she dove behind a rock nearby. This was definitely a first: Reaper-fied Turians. Fantastic. These…Marauders also seemed to have more armour than the usual husks as the first few shots from Shepard, James and Garrus did little damage. Experimentally, Tristan sent a Warp at the Marauder. It staggered for a moment and Tristan emptied her clip into it. Perhaps it was a tad overkill but Tristan wanted to be certain it was dead. When the Turian collapsed to the floor, she realised her Warp had done the trick.

While Tristan had been distracted by her surprise, husks had started to come out of nowhere and attack. To buy some time, Tristan used her biotics to throw one husk into those behind it, sort of like dominos. She didn't expect the move to kill any of them. Luckily, it bought Tristan just enough time to place a fresh clip into her M-3 Predator and then switch to her M-4 Shuriken. For a while, they had nothing to contend with other than the husks. Shepard and James had taken cover further ahead where they could use their shotguns more effectively while Garrus was a slight distance behind so his skill with a sniper rifle didn't go unused. Tristan remained in the middle, kneeling behind her rock and shooting at whatever husk was unlikely enough to be her target.

Just as she started to wonder if the Reapers only had the one Marauder, a giant fireball exploded in front of them, followed by another and then another. Suddenly, they had three Marauders to fight on top of the husks.

"You always have to jinx things, don't you?" Tristan muttered to herself as she ducked behind her rock to replace her thermal clip as one of the Marauders started to fire their own gun at her.

Shepard and James were suddenly pinned down by heavy fire from all three Marauders and Garrus had his hands full trying to keep the husks from getting to them.

"Tristan, a little help please, if it wouldn't be too much trouble!" Shepard practically yelled over the gunfire.

Tristan rolled her eyes and popped up, sending a Warp at the Marauder on the left. "Geez, keep your armour on."

Any retort that Shepard had was cut off when Tristan opened fire on the Marauder with her M-4 Shuriken. Realising she was likely to be the Marauders' next target, she continued to fire her gun with her left hand and then used her right hand to send another Warp at the Marauder in the middle. As soon as the first Marauder hit the ground, Tristan had to duck behind her own cover as the other two shot at her. Shepard and James had seen her second Warp and once it was safe to do so, they fired their shotguns at the centre Marauder. Tristan than cautiously peeked over her cover to see where the last Marauder was standing before Warping him too. Shepard and James' shotguns did short work of him. There were still a few last husks running straight for them. Tristan got to her feet, aware that Garrus was further to the right so she wouldn't block his line of fire, and started to shoot at the husks. James and Shepard joined in and the last few stragglers were shot by Garrus.

They waited in silence to see if anymore husks were about to appear.

"I think we're done here, Commander," James suggested when the silence dragged on for a few more moments.

Tristan braced herself and was disappointed when no more husks started to charge. Apparently, only she could jinx things. Before returning to camp, they quickly searched the immediate area to make sure no husks were lurking and also replaced their guns with fresh clips. There was no shortage of spare clips around the camp so they weren't likely to run out in the middle of the battle. Shepard then led the way back into the camp. They hadn't covered much ground when General Corinthus' voice came over the radio.

_::Shepard, come in!::_

The General sounded strained. Tristan guessed this call was not about the Primarch.

"This is Shepard, go ahead."

_::I'm still trying to raise the Primarch but we've got trouble here at the main barricade. If the Reapers breach it, we're done.::_

That certainly wasn't good news. As their location was pretty obvious, they didn't need Shepard to tell them to pick up the pace. They started a light jog, even as she continued to speak with General Corinthus.

"We're on our way, 30 seconds out."

They returned to the camp just in time to see a fireball crash just beyond the perimeter. The main barricade was directly opposite to them and easy to spot because of the large turret mounted on top. The Turians who had previously guarded it had been killed, possibly by an explosion. Shepard approached the ladder and began to climb it quickly, Tristan followed then James and finally Garrus. Shepard had already started to fire at the husks with the turret which left Tristan a bit disappointed. She always wanted to fire a turret. In any case, there was no time to argue so she took out her Shuriken and positioned herself on the turret's left, next to James. She knelt with one knee on the ground and started to fire at the husks, not that there were many to shoot at when Shepard was using a turret. Garrus was on the other side of Shepard and he was using his sniper rifle once again.

The moon's terrain formed a rocky valley ahead and the husks were able to climb up the walls to get over the barricade, assuming any of them evaded the turret. The small number that did was usually shot by Garrus, Tristan or James. It worked quite well, even leading to James confusing Garrus when he had said it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Tristan couldn't stop herself from grinning and even Shepard looked to be amused. James was obviously enjoying himself as wave after wave of husks attacked them. Tristan had to admit, his enthusiasm was contagious. Just as the number of husks started to thin, something massive dropped to the ground. It was perhaps double their height and looked to be made mostly of muscle. It had long, sharp claws and its entire body was the dull blue that many came to associate with being Reaper-fied.

"Holy Hell!" James exclaimed. "What is that thing?"

Tristan regarded the huge thing critically. "Ugly?"

It suddenly turned to face them and changed its posture so all four limbs were on the floor and its head was down low. It took Tristan a few moments to realise it planned on charging at the barricade. Shepard must have realised it too as she ordered them to brace themselves as it started its charge. It collided with the barricade with a lot of force. Garrus was knocked onto his side while James and Tristan were using their arms in an attempt to regain their balance. Tristan managed to regain her balance first and then grabbed onto the back of James' armour to keep him from falling over. Considering he was a bit bigger than she was, this task wasn't easily accomplished but they managed. Shepard, apparently, had not followed her own orders as she was knocked off the barricade and into the valley below…with the huge brute.

As Shepard struggled to her feet, Garrus, James and Tristan wasted no time in jumping down after her. They scrambled behind some cover as the Brute let out a strange noise and prepared to charge at them. If things weren't bad enough, husks also started to attack. Judging by how the bullets seemed to ricochet off of the Brute, Tristan guessed it was heavily armoured. Her attention was then momentarily attracted by a few husks that were coming straight towards her. Shepard, James and Garrus had their own problems so she quickly opened fire on the husks that were charging at her.

As she emptied her clip into the last husk, the sound of a heavy footfall just behind made her freeze. She looked over her shoulder and found the Brute standing on the other side of the rock she had been using for cover. It let out one of its weird shrieks and tried to swipe at Tristan. Tristan rolled out of the way as the rock was destroyed. She used her momentum to get back onto her feet and quickly placed a fresh clip into her gun. The Brute moved faster than she realised and had closed the gap between them easily. It prepared for another swipe and there wasn't any space for Tristan to dodge so she did the only thing she could do: put up a biotic barrier between herself and the Brute.

Unfortunately, it didn't work too well. The Brute's arm went straight through the barrier, through her shields and slammed hard into her side with enough force to knock her into the rocky wall of the valley. Shepard may have called her name, though it was hard to be sure. The sounds of Shepard, Garrus and James shooting the husks seemed to dull and the floor started to move of its own accord. Tristan refused to pass out in the middle of a battle and shook her head to snap herself out of the daze. She looked up in time to see a husk loom over her…and then explode into a mess. At first, she thought it had been Shepard but she was busy distracting the brute. And then Tristan saw James nod at her in a 'you-owe-me-one' manner. She smiled and shook her head again.

She got to her feet and retrieved her gun from the floor. This Brute would take some creativity to defeat and while Tristan tried to come up with a plan, she shot the husks that just kept coming, even as Shepard and Garrus took turns keeping the Brute distracted. Its armour was too thick for a single Warp to do much damage and would require a lot of attacks to get through, even with bullets. Tristan doubted they had the time or the bullets to get through its armour. If Liara or another biotic had been there, it would have been worth a try. Just to make sure she wasn't assuming too much, Tristan quickly sent a Warp at the Brute. There was more damage than she thought.

The Brute suddenly locked onto Tristan again and was about to charge again when Shepard threw one of her sticky grenades at it. The grenade exploded and the Brute started to chase Shepard again. Tristan sent another Warp its way and it let out a weird sounding screech. Between the two Warps, the sticky grenade and the constant bullets, they must have been doing some damage. The Brute started to charge at Tristan, forcing her to dive out of the way. Its claw narrowly missed her this time and her skin prickled uneasily. The Brute certainly had a strange energy about it; almost Biotic but not quite – perhaps the reason why it so easily got through her barrier and shields.

Tristan used her speed and agility to get behind the Brute and sent another Warp at it. Shepard decided to throw a second sticky grenade and Tristan had to scramble to get out of its blast radius. The grenade exploded and, within moments, the Brute collapsed to the floor. Tristan quickly made sure she hadn't been injured when it became clear there weren't any more husks in the area and then looked at Shepard.

"A warning next time would be appreciated."

Shepard shrugged. "I figured you would prefer to dodge an explosion instead of its charge.

"Fair point," Tristan allowed slowly, as she thought about it.

_::Shepard, Corinthus here.::_

Garrus, James and Tristan walked closer to Shepard while still remaining on high alert, just in case more husks appeared.

"Have you managed to find the Primarch yet?" Shepard asked, slowly starting to get frustrated with the lack of progress.

_::Still can't get a stable comm. link.::_

"All right, we'll handle it. Shepard out," Shepard replied and then looked to Garrus. "Can you take me to the last place you saw Victus?"

"Of course, Shepard."

They did a last minute gear check before Garrus took over the lead. He set a decent pace: one that would help them to cover a lot of ground while not tiring them out completely. Shepard was right behind Garrus and Tristan and James were a small distance behind them. Tristan was a bit shaky after being flung into the wall so she was trying her best to keep up and attempt to test her injuries, now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Her barrier had absorbed most of the damage and then her shields but getting introduced to a solid rock wall shoulder first did hurt a bit. Her hardsuit had also absorbed a lot of the damage so, in theory, she would be fine, as long as it didn't happen again.

They jogged in silence until Garrus pointed out Palaven. It was hard to believe that so much destruction could be caused in such a short span of time. James, Garrus and Shepard continued their discussion: Garrus mentioned he still had a father and a sister on Palaven; they discussed the losses; Shepard asked about the military…and Tristan wasn't listening at all. If things were this bad on Palaven, then she was sure it was much, much worse on Earth. The Turian Hierarchy was well known as having the strongest military in the galaxy and the Systems Alliance had…Shepard. Admirals Hackett and Anderson were good but they weren't miracle workers. Tristan desperately hoped that her family was still safe. At least Garrus thought along the same lines as Tristan: if only people had listened to Shepard's warning, things would be different.

As they covered more ground, they also started to stumble upon the bodies of Turians. Husks suddenly ambushed them. Garrus and Shepard focused on the ones coming from the front while Tristan and James took care of the ones that attempted to attack from the rear. It had almost been a successful ambush…which was unnerving. These husks' only purpose was to kill and lacked any form of intelligence so why were they so close to succeeding? Perhaps the closer they were to a Reaper, the smarter they were? There weren't any Reapers nearby, even as one or two loomed far on the horizon. Still, it was worth considering.

Tristan had to hide a smile though. She was pretty sure one of the last husks that attacked had given James – a seasoned Marine who previously had no problems dealing with husks – quite a fright.

"Shit, I hate those things," James said irritably. "And New York is crawling with the creepy bastards? I never should have left Earth."

His first few words confirmed her suspicion but she decided not to tease him for it, especially when the discussion took a very serious turn. It was unfair to ask the Primarch to leave his men and the fight behind, especially when they had just gone through the same thing and weren't handling it very well. Then again, it wasn't fair for the entire galaxy to label Commander Shepard as a lying lunatic whose words shouldn't be believed when she was the only person fighting to save the lives of everyone in the galaxy, Batarians included even though most people thought they were scum and not worth any effort. And now that Shepard had been proved right, there wasn't an apology from anyone. Instead, all she got was "do x, y and z and make it snappy". Now that was unfair. Suddenly, Tristan didn't feel very sympathetic to this Primarch.

They must have been getting close to another Turian outpost. The sounds of battle were growing louder and a few Turian fighters were shooting at something – probably a Destroyer – a distance away. A Harvester also flew by overhead but ignored the four of them. They stopped briefly by a small group of Turian soldiers. Tristan used these few moments to catch her breath while Garrus and Shepard asked for directions. Hopefully, they were getting close to Primarch Victus. Shepard, Garrus and James also took a few moments to contemplate a downed gunship nearby. Tristan didn't see the point. The crew was already dead so there was no way to help them. Shepard did not agree with Tristan's opinions on these sorts of things so Tristan decided to keep them to herself.

When they had all caught their breath, they continued in the direction the soldiers had pointed them in. Shepard took over as leader and started to jog when a Harvester overhead rammed into a Turian fighter. The fighter was pointing in their direction and they all had to scramble out of the way. Tristan used her biotics to pull Shepard towards her as the fighter rushed past, just missing them. It crashed nearby and exploded.

"That was a little closer than I'd like," Garrus commented.

"You and me both," Tristan agreed.

"I'll say," James added.

Shepard rushed towards the fighter to see if anyone survived. Tristan doubted anyone could have survived that…although the last time she had that thought, a pissed off, Cerberus, homicidal cyborg tried to kill them. Perhaps it was safer to check.

"No survivors," Shepard informed them, sounding pretty disappointed. "Dammit."

"A crash like that, it's not surprising," Garrus replied.

Perhaps Garrus and Tristan had more in common than she first realised. Once Shepard made absolutely sure there weren't any survivors, they started jogging again. They needed to jump down some pretty big drops. Tristan hoped they were going in the right direction; climbing back up that way could prove…difficult. James then started to ask questions about the summit and made a few good points, even though they were lost on Tristan as she could only think about James' amusing nickname for Shepard: Lola. She didn't strike Shepard as a 'Lola' so why did James give her that nickname? There were a thousand different possibilities for the Commander. Tristan really needed to ask James about that one.

"Why doesn't anyone ask the Vorcha for help?" Tristan suddenly spoke up, just as they finished talking about the Krogan.

Shepard even stopped walking to give Tristan an incredulous look. "Maybe that Brute hit your head harder than I thought."

"Hear me out," Tristan argued as they continued walking. "They may be dumber than a rock but they know how to use guns, they're immune to pretty much every disease and poison, they regenerate fast and there are a shitload of them in the galaxy. At the very least they could make good cannon fodder. All you need is a lot of credits to convince them to help."

"Assuming they don't shoot you first," Garrus pointed out.

"Fair point," Tristan agreed. "But this is their galaxy too. Who are we to say they shouldn't be allowed to fight for it?"

Shepard looked over her shoulder. "You are definitely getting your head examined the moment we get back to the _Normandy_."

James and Garrus chuckled while Tristan shot her a look. This was why she didn't like to take things seriously; no one took her seriously when she did. As they covered more ground, the sounds of gunfire reached their ears and it sounded very close.

"That doesn't sound good," James said.

"Time to pick up the pace," Shepard ordered and they started to run. "No Reaper is taking this Primarch from me."

The last few metres to the outpost were covered relatively quickly and they soon arrived in the middle of a battle. There were Cannibals, Marauders and a Brute. A few Turian soldiers were still alive and they refused to give up. Tristan quickly scanned the layout of the camp before ducking behind cover beside Shepard. Things didn't look good. Tristan tried to come up with a few ideas to even the odds as she opened fire on a bunch of nearby cannibals. The Brute was still some distance away although it was slowly closing the gap. Then Tristan got one crazy idea that Shepard would not like…so Tristan didn't tell her.

Instead, she quickly climbed up the small outcropping they were using as cover and immediately sent a Warp towards the Brute. It got his attention all right.

"Tristan, what are you doing?" Shepard demanded slowly.

Tristan shrugged in answer. "Evening the odds."

To make sure the Brute's attention was fixed on her, Tristan continued to fire her gun at it. When it was close enough, she started to sprint in the direction of the cannibals nearby, aware that the Brute was running after her. When the cannibals saw she was coming, she hit the ground so she was sliding along it and quickly put up a barrier to stop their bullets. She slid right through the middle of the group and the Brute followed. It was pretty angry and readily killed the cannibals or knocked them out of its way, allowing other soldiers the opportunity to kill them. Tristan got back to her feet and sent another Warp at it to make sure it didn't get distracted.

A Marauder was nearby and too smart to fall into the same trap as the cannibals so Tristan did some quick thinking. The Brute was big and fast but lacked any form of agility. She started to run in the general direction of the Marauder and then suddenly turned so she was sprinting back towards Shepard. The Brute had some trouble cornering and accidently collided with the Marauder. Once again, it didn't kill it but a Turian soldier nearby fixed that problem. Tristan noticed Shepard peek over the outcropping.

"Grenade!" Tristan yelled.

Shepard obliged and threw a sticky grenade at the Brute. Tristan turned around and sent a final Warp at it, before sliding across the ground and ducking back behind the outcropping where she first started. A few seconds went by and then the explosion followed. Curiously, they all sat up and looked at the now dead Brute.

"I can't believe that worked," Shepard stated in disbelief.

"Me neither," Tristan agreed, breathing heavily and receiving a look in reply.

With the first part of the camp now under their control, they moved forward to better cover. James and Garrus continued to shoot their guns at any enemy that revealed itself while Shepard and Tristan used their tech abilities and biotics to supplement the attacks whenever they could. The Marauders, as long as they were taken down quickly, weren't that much of a problem anymore so they were able to cover quite a bit of ground and kill a lot of enemies at the same time. As they reached the halfway point, they noticed there were now two Brutes ahead of them, among even more Marauders and Cannibals. Tristan doubted she could outrun two Brutes. She looked at Shepard for any orders and was surprised to find that Shepard had picked up a strange gun and was examining it curiously.

It was obviously a Heavy Weapon, based on its size and weight but the design was foreign to Tristan. It was streamlined and had an almost Geth-like appearance to it, which led her to believe it was probably of Reaper origin. Shepard shrugged when she realised her three teammates were watching her. Given the small odds of success, experimenting with a new weapon was worth a try, especially when there was a group consisting of two Brutes and a whole lot of ugly things.

"Tristan, I need a barrier, in case they decide to shoot at me," Shepard ordered. "This is gonna need some time to charge. James, Garrus, suppressing fire."

There were three confirmations of 'aye, aye, Commander' and Tristan shuffled over so she was next to Shepard. She nodded to her Commanding Officer and they both popped up, giving Shepard a clear line of sight to the Brutes. Tristan created a blue barrier around the two of them and Shepard took aim. She held in the trigger and, sure enough, it did take a few seconds to charge. Just as Tristan started wondering when it would fire…it did. It hit the one Brute dead centre and a huge explosion followed, killing pretty much everything in a small radius. Shepard, Tristan, James and Garrus could only stare at the spot where the Brutes had been mere seconds ago.

"That…was…awesome!" Tristan decided. "I have got to get me one of those."

Garrus looked at Shepard. "Any way that might come in handy later?"

Shepard shook her head and placed the gun on the ground. "It only had one shot and I'm guessing we won't be able to get more ammo for it."

After that rather spectacular display, it took them a few seconds to remember what they were doing there in the first place. They continued to run further into the camp and a few more fireballs exploded ahead of them, revealing a few more Marauders. The Reapers were persistent, Tristan would give them that but so was Shepard. Eventually, the camp was cleared…for the moment, anyway. A Turian in red armour left his cover and Shepard looked at Garrus for a confirmation. When he nodded, Shepard walked forward.

"General Victus?"

The General looked to be perplexed but Tristan wasn't sure. "Yes?"

"I'm Commander Shepard of the _Normandy_."

"Ah, Commander," the General replied without confusion. "I know who you are. I can't wait to hear what brings you out here."

Tristan guessed he wouldn't think so in a moment. While they spoke, Tristan looked around the camp. There had been a lot of destruction and quite a bit of death – there were more bodies of the enemy, thankfully. The Turians were pretty good soldiers…or maybe they were just stubborn.

"General, you're need off planet," Shepard said and took a step forward. "I've come to make sure you get there."

"It will take something beyond 'important' to get me to leave my men or my brothers and sisters behind," General Victus retorted.

"Fedorian was killed," Garrus explained. "You're the new Primarch."

Tristan had never seen a Turian so surprised before. It was the one emotion she knew she got right. She hadn't spent much time around aliens so it was often hard for her to read their emotions however there were a few that were easy to read across species.

"You're needed immediately to chair a summit and represent your people in the fight against the Reapers," Shepard continued.

Victus didn't reply immediately and pushed past the small group to look at his homeworld, the destruction obvious even from such a distance. Shepard and Garrus closed the distance respectfully and the conversation was too soft for Tristan and James to follow. It was neither their place nor their duty to get any closer so they remained where they were, waiting to see what would happen. Eventually, Victus walked away to say goodbye to his men and James and Tristan returned to Shepard and Garrus.

"Without him here, there's a good chance we lose this moon," Garrus said.

"Without him up there, there's a good chance we lose everything," Shepard argued.

Once again, Garrus and Shepard took a few steps away to watch a Destroyer and talk about a few things. Whatever they discussed resulted in a handshake.

"I guess we just gained a new crewmate," Tristan told James.

"Sure looks like it."

"They should put Shepard in charge of recruitment for the Alliance," Tristan joked.

"Then we might not get to shoot anything."

"True."

"Are you ready to go, Primarch Victus?" Shepard suddenly called.

The Primarch slowly stepped back from his men and approached Shepard. "One thing. Commander, I appreciate the need for our fleets but I can't spare them; not while my world is burning. But, if the pressure can be taken off of Palaven…"

Shepard regarded the Primarch. "That's a pretty tall order…"

"We need the Krogan," the Primarch decided, taking Tristan by shock. "I can't see us winning this thing without them. Get them to help us and then we can help you."

"The Krogan," Shepard repeated softly as she started to think about things.

"It looks like your summit just got more interesting," Garrus added.

Tristan scoffed. "'Interesting' is an understatement. I might actually want to attend this summit."

That was saying a lot, considering the summit would be filled with politicians. Shepard shook her head at Tristan while she called for Lieutenant Cortez to come pick them again. Things just got a whole lot more complicated.


	7. Test Drive

**Hey guys. I'm really sorry about the delay. I had only started this chapter on Friday and had meant to finish and post it yesterday. However, I ended up falling off my horse and then hitting the jump on the way down so I wasn't quite in the mood for writing. Luckily, I didn't break anything and the most serious injury is to my leg so I should be fine. This also means that there is only one update for this week but I am going to work hard and hopefully have something more for you lovely readers by next weekend. This is also going to be my last week of holiday so I'm going to put a lot of work into my writing so I don't fall behind again.**

**Thank you for your patience with me. I understand I am not the easiest author to follow.**

**Thank you also for your reviews, favourites and alerts. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter 7: Test Drive**

The shuttle ride back to the _Normandy_ was…awkward. Shepard was seated up front, beside Lieutenant Cortez and she was deep in thought. Tristan figured she was trying to find some way to appease everyone with the upcoming summit which was easier said than done. The Turians might earn some favour with the Krogan, having been responsible for giving them an opportunity to once again save the galaxy but the Salarians would not be pleased. For all of their genius, they definitely knew how to hold a grudge. While the genophage had been the correct decision at the time, times were now changing and the Salarians needed to realise this. Tristan certainly didn't envy Shepard – she hated politics and planned to stay out of it for as long as possible.

She was seated beside James and opposite to Garrus Vakarian. The Primarch was sitting opposite to James. Conversation didn't exactly flow easily because Primarch Victus was also preoccupied about the situation on Palaven and he was also struggling with his decision to leave his men behind. It couldn't have been an easy decision. Garrus also seemed to be thinking intently of something else but Tristan didn't know the Turian well enough to guess at what he was thinking about. At least it wasn't boring. A few Turian fighters were engaging with Reapers in space so every now and then, the shuttle jostled its occupants. Nothing life threatening, unfortunately.

Eventually, they made it back to the _Normandy_ but the awkwardness persisted as Shepard, Garrus, the Primarch and Tristan climbed into the elevator. Shepard needed to speak with the Asari councillor to fill her in on the changes and then update Admiral Hackett while Tristan needed to fulfil her duties as Executive Officer by escorting Primarch Victus to the War Room until Shepard could speak with him. The moment the doors slid open, Shepard sped off towards the Briefing Room with a hurried 'excuse me', leaving Tristan alone with two Turians. She took a moment to get her thoughts in line and exited the elevator.

"If you would follow me, I'd be happy to show you to the War Room while Commander Shepard updates Admiral Hackett," she offered politely.

"Thank you," the Primarch replied with a curt nod.

Tristan decided to introduce them both to Specialist Traynor, in case there were any problems with the _Normandy_ or if they needed any data analysed before heading towards Private Campbell and Private Westmoreland who stood guard. They passed them without incident, thankfully, and Tristan revealed the large room full of computer terminals and Alliance personnel that was the War Room. She led them towards the centre and then stood aside to wait for Shepard. Garrus, who was now a member of the crew, excused himself and then disappeared too, mentioning something about calibrations. Primarch Victus didn't waste any time in getting set up at one of the nearby terminals. Just as Shepard emerged, Tristan's radio beeped and she placed a finger to her ear.

"_Executive, you may want to get up here,"_ Joker told her.

Tristan raised an eyebrow in confusion at Joker's serious tone. "I'm on my way."

Once she made sure her presence was no longer required, she retraced her steps towards the cockpit until she was standing behind Joker.

"What seems to be the problem?" she asked expectantly.

Joker's hands deftly glided over the consoles in front of him. "I'm not exactly sure but we're getting power surges and fluctuations from…EDI's core? That doesn't make any sense."

Tristan leant forward some more to get a closer look. "This doesn't have anything to do with Liara returning from Menae sooner than the rest of us, does it?"

"Possibly," the helmsman answered slowly.

"Is EDI still online?" Tristan asked after a few more moments. This definitely required her undivided and serious attention.

"Yeah but she isn't responding to any commands or speaking to me," Joker explained, just as seriously.

So many jokes, so little time…so she decided to keep them all to herself. Very little information on the consoles made any sense to her so she decided she would take Joker's word for whatever was going on. It also was unlikely that this was a terrible joke that the pair was playing on the crew. Suddenly, the lights dimmed as the power fluctuated and a moment later, everything was back to normal. Odd. They waited for a few more seconds to make sure whatever happened was actually over.

"Did that affect the whole ship?" Tristan asked as she looked back over her shoulder to see if there were any problems with the other crew members' stations.

Joker brought up a few more screens. "Yeah. EDI's offline and the source is definitely coming from the AI core."

"Better tell the Commander. I'm heading there now," Tristan decided and was suddenly very glad that she was still wearing all of her gear.

Joker nodded his agreement and passed on the message to Shepard. By the time Tristan reached the elevator, Shepard appeared and they entered together. Tristan crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her right fingers against her left elbow. It was a habit she picked up that usually revealed itself when she was impatient or nervous. Shepard was also restless; shifting her weight left and right as the elevator seemed to take ages to get one floor lower. A problem on the _Normandy_ now could possibly doom their entire mission and possibly Earth. It was not a positive line of thinking. And considering the ship had been through far worse, Shepard was also quite worried.

After what felt like an eternity, the elevator finally reached the Crew Deck and Shepard and Tristan hurried towards the Medical Bay so they could investigate the AI core. Dr Chakwas had decided to leave her station for the time being and was now seated in the Mess Hall while the armed Marines investigated the problem. While Tristan had all-round training, she doubted she would be much use in a very technical – as an AI was – situation. Shepard also wasn't that familiar with advanced computer programming so she was quite relieved when they found Chief Engineer Adams and another engineer were standing by, looking as though they were prepared to handle a fire.

"Status report?" Shepard requested as they approached.

Engineer Adams turned to face the Commander. "Automated systems have the fires contained. It should be safe to enter. We'll follow your lead."

For an engineer, he didn't exactly sound convinced. Tristan's hand unconsciously drifted to her heavy pistol and she was prepared to put up a barrier, if the situation was worse than they first realised. She had no idea what to expect behind those closed doors so she was prepared for anything. She then looked to Shepard anxiously. A strange hissing noise was coming from the other side of the door.

As Shepard approached, she placed a finger on her radio. "Joker, what's that noise?"

"_Fire extinguishers, Commander. Could be an electrical fire…or something,"_ Joker replied.

This didn't bode well and even though Tristan had a bad feeling about this, she wouldn't back down. She exchanged a wary glance with Shepard before the Commander opened the doors. There was a large cloud of…something that had gathered in the back of the room. It could have been smoke or it could have come from the fire extinguishers. The engineers rushed ahead to make extra sure that the room was safe and Shepard followed them after a moment. Tristan gripped her pistol in its holster and then walked in behind Shepard. A fire like this didn't just happen on its own. Something must have caused it and she doubted it had anything to do with the retrofits.

Engineer Adams extinguished a few flames nearby and then nodded the all clear to Shepard, who walked further into the room.

"EDI, talk to me," she ordered.

Tristan remained close to the door and she could have sworn she saw movement in the cloud. The AI Core lit up unexpectedly and they all jumped slightly. Silence followed and then a figure emerged from the cloud. It was the cyborg, android, robot…thing that had attacked them on Mars. Out of pure reflex, Tristan drew her pistol and had it pointed at the body of Dr Eva Core. The last time they had crossed paths, the crazy doctor had pretty much kicked their collective asses and Tristan did not look forward to a repeat performance.

"Is there a particular topic you wish to discuss, Shepard?" she enquired politely.

It took Tristan a few moments to realise it was EDI's voice coming from the android and she cautiously lowered her pistol. This day just got weirder. Shepard looked over her shoulder at Tristan and indicated that she should holster her weapon. Tristan reluctantly did so. While Shepard might trust the AI completely but Tristan did not. Sure, EDI was useful to have around and Joker also trusted her but despite this, she had her origins with Cerberus and it would take a lot for Tristan to overlook this fact, especially now that she was in Dr Coré's body which was also created by Cerberus. Shepard had by this point returned her attention to EDI.

"You're in Dr Coré's body," Shepard stated bluntly.

EDI examined her new arms curiously. "Not all of me," she answered and then focused on Shepard. "But I have full control of it. It was not…a seamless transition."

"Right," Tristan commented sceptically.

It was disconcerting to have the body of an assassin walking around the _Normandy_, controlled by an AI. It was also surprising to see Shepard react so calmly to the idea, especially after what had happened with Major Alenko. Perhaps she trusted EDI more than Tristan first realised. Engineer Adams walked past Tristan to check the nearby systems and run a diagnostic to make sure the systems were still running smoothly and were unaffected by the earlier problems. Tristan could have left and found something to do but she didn't want to leave Shepard alone in the room, just in case EDI did not have full control.

While Shepard questioned EDI on the situation, Tristan only half listened. She kept the majority of her attention on EDI, just in case she attempted to kill Shepard and watched the android's movements very closely. Engineer Adams was able to shut off the fire extinguishers off which made it a bit easier to see. Once the engineers were satisfied that everything was in working order, they took their leave. Tristan snapped back to the conversation when EDI implied that she wished to join them on groundside missions.

"What?" she demanded. "That can't be a good idea, Nads. How can we be absolutely certain that EDI has 100% control of the…body and that Dr Coré won't unexpectedly resurface and kill us all?"

It was the worst case scenario. Shepard looked at her in concern and then looked back towards EDI.

"Tristan does have a point, EDI. Before we take you on any missions, I want you to run tests and make sure it doesn't have any more surprises," she ordered firmly. "Run whatever tests you can and if no anomalies surface, then we'll talk about testing it in a combat situation."

"One moment," EDI replied. "I am running trials." Shepard and Tristan exchanged a confused look. "Complete. I can send you a full report if you wish. However, my first step should be restoring functionality to the _Normandy_ to reassure the crew that all is normal."

"Just…don't be surprised if the crew is a bit…cautious of your new body," Shepard added diplomatically, perhaps offering an explanation for Tristan's behaviour. "It was shooting at them a little while ago…"

EDI cocked her head to the side. "An excellent point. I will take it to the bridge. Joker will want to see it."

"That's an understatement," Shepard commented under her breath as EDI left the room.

Tristan watched her leave and then looked to Shepard. "Well…that was weird."

Shepard smiled briefly. "Is this going to be a problem?"

"No," Tristan answered. "I trust you and your judgement but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Don't worry, Tris. I'll keep a close eye on her," Shepard reassured.

Tristan wanted to ask Shepard how she could so easily trust EDI after Mars but then she decided against it. She had only just stopped brooding over what happened to Major Alenko and had stopped blaming herself for it. Tristan wasn't about to jumpstart that process all over again and decided it was time to return to her quarters to put her gear away. Once she was back in her civvies, she sat down behind her terminal to check her mail and was surprised to find a message from Major Alenko. Not only was it odd for him to send a message to her at all, considering they didn't exactly get along, but her email address wasn't exactly public knowledge. Curiously, she opened the mail.

_Agent Chase_

_I realise we got off on the wrong foot, so to speak, and I think we need to talk. About what happened on Mars and about Commander Shepard. The doctors say I'm ready for visitors so I would appreciate it if you would come by during your next visit to the Citadel._

_Major K. Alenko_

_Systems Alliance Military_

Well, at least there was some good news for Shepard. He was alive and doing well. It was a strange request, to say in the least, and she was tempted to say no. But, considering Shepard and Major Alenko still had strong feelings for each other, it might be worthwhile to see what he had to say and she replied to the mail.

_Major Alenko_

_I have considered the situation and have decided to stop by. Knowing Shepard and her need to investigate every tiny thing, I can't provide an exact time but know that I will definitely come by._

_Wishing you a swift recovery_

_Tristan Chase_

It was a diplomatic reply and would perhaps make their conversation a bit easier if he knew that she meant him no ill will…or at least nothing fatal. To further add to her surprise, there was also a message from Councillor Udina. This time, she wasn't surprised that he had her email address. It was, however, unusual for Humanity's Councillor to send her a message unless she was getting lectured for disobeying an order or making a mistake that could have possible political repercussions (this hadn't happened in a very long time). Tristan was pretty sure she hadn't done anything to get in trouble…or something serious enough that would warrant a message from Councillor Udina so she curiously opened the message.

_Agent Chase_

_I have a matter of upmost importance that I wish to discuss with you. It is also a sensitive topic therefore you cannot breathe a word of this to anyone. I hope I make myself clear. Please come see me in my office in the Human Embassies at your earliest convenience._

_D. Udina_

_Councillor, Human Embassy_

Once again, it was an odd request with little information. She couldn't exactly tell anyone about a meeting that she knew nothing about and it was also strange that Udina was…attempting to be polite. Perhaps he was asking for a favour or something along those lines. Tristan doubted she had it in her to not reply in a snotty or sarcastic way so she replied with the standard "I'll be there". It wasn't ideal – especially for a high ranking politician – but it wasn't as if she insulted him in any way which he was sure to appreciate. Admiral Anderson was, by far, a better councillor, in her honest opinion, but the political life wasn't for everyone.

Once she was caught up on her mail, she was just about to make her way to the crew deck when Shepard contacted her via radio.

"_Tris, I need to talk to you. Do you have a moment?"_

Wow, she suddenly felt popular what with all the people who suddenly wanted to talk to her. "Sure."

"_Great. Meet me on the CIC."_

Tristan made her way to the elevator and soon found herself walking towards Shepard who was standing behind her terminal near the Galaxy Map. At first, Shepard didn't notice her approach until Tristan was standing right beside her. She was tempted to give Shepard a fright but decided against it at the last possible second when she realised Shepard's most likely response would probably involve hand to hand combat. Judging from Shepard's improved mood and lack of tension, Tristan figured it was safe to assume that she had also received a message from Major Alenko.

"Good news, I take it?" Tristan guessed.

Shepard smiled. "Kaidan's awake and is ready for visitors."

"That's great," Tristan replied with a smile. "Should I tell Joker to head for the Citadel as fast as he can?"

Shepard snorted. "I wish but Admiral Hackett wants us to investigate a Cerberus Research Lab. It's what I want to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

"I'm planning on taking EDI with," Shepard explained cautiously, obviously choosing her wording carefully. "And I want you to stay on the _Normandy_."

Tristan frowned. While she was aware that she couldn't be a part of every single mission, she wanted to watch Shepard's back when EDI was around until they could be sure there definitely wouldn't be any surprises. Plus, it would be fun to raid a Cerberus lab but that was beside the point.

"I'm taking Liara and Garrus with me while we let EDI take her new body for a test drive in a combat scenario," Shepard continued. "Between Liara's biotics and Garrus' sniper rifle, I'll be fine. I want you to stay in the cockpit and monitor EDI's performance with Joker. And as Executive, I want you around just in case the Primarch needs anything."

It was a reasonable request. She sighed in defeat. "All right, have it your way. But if things go horribly wrong, you owe me a beer."

"You're a real ray of sunshine sometimes," Shepard remarked dryly and with a smile. "Deal."

Tristan smiled in response. "I'm going to assume that EDI doesn't have much experience with guns."

"_You are correct, Agent Chase. Prior to this, I have not needed guns but I have downloaded protocols which will increase my efficacy with all types of weapons."_

Tristan raised an eyebrow. It was just what she needed to hear: a mech that was previously programmed to be an assassin now had expertise with every weapon. "Regardless, practical experience overrides theoretical information. I'm sure James will be able to help you choose your guns." Shepard then gave her a pointed look and she sighed in response. "Come on, EDI."

She returned to the elevator and was soon joined by EDI. The ride down was silent and unnerving, not to mention creepy. Eventually, EDI decided to break the silence.

"You do not approve of my new body?" she enquired.

Tristan shrugged. "I just don't trust it. It was made by Cerberus, after all."

EDI cocked her head to the side again but it was not out of confusion, rather she seemed to be processing something. "Alliance records indicate that you lost your brother on Akuze, a result of a Cerberus experiment. Is this the reason you dislike Cerberus?"

Tristan raised an eyebrow. She didn't know if it was useful or annoying that EDI could access Alliance records so easily. "Mostly. Cerberus also has a knack for corrupting everything it touches."

"But you do not dislike Shepard for working with Cerberus to stop the Collectors?"

"No. At the time, it was the best decision. Shepard didn't have any other choice, especially when the Alliance shut her out like they did. Even if they believed her, tactically, the Alliance wouldn't have been able to stop the Collectors. They didn't have the budget to rebuild and improve the _Normandy_ and there is no way they would have attempted to assemble such a crew. Shepard wouldn't have been able to stop the Collectors without Cerberus," Tristan explained. "But that doesn't mean I like it."

"Even though you know this, you still do not like Cerberus?" EDI asked.

"One good deed does not mean a bad person or organisation has changed," Tristan answered. "Likewise, one bad deed does not change a good person into a bad person."

EDI was silent for a moment. "I shall have to consider this."

They arrived at the Shuttle Bay and it wasn't hard to find James. He was standing behind his work station, examining the various guns laid out before him and making sure they were still in working order. Tristan's guns were not among them because she felt that if her life depended on them – as it did most of the time – then she couldn't trust anyone else to maintain them.

"James?" she called when they were nearby.

He turned around and grinned when he saw Tristan. "Hey, Slick."

She frowned at her new nickname, not because she disliked it rather because she had no idea if it was an insult or a compliment. At least it was better than 'Lola'. In any case, James didn't notice her confusion because he had now seen EDI and was staring. EDI's new body seemed to have that effect on the male crew members and maybe a few of the female ones too.

"EDI is going to need some guns and I guessed you might have some advice?" she probed.

James glanced at her as if he were trying to decide whether or not Tristan was joking. EDI needing guns was not really a situation any of them were prepared for or had even considered. When Tristan shook her head to show that she was not joking, he regained his sense of humour quite quickly.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked and leant against his worktable with his arms crossed.

"While I am assuming weight will not be a problem," Tristan answered, "I figured light weapons might be best so that she can – how do you put it? – fight at optimal capacity."

EDI nodded her head once. "That would be an appropriate assumption."

"So…heavy pistols and submachine guns?" James replied. "I like the way you think."

"Is that your professional opinion, lieutenant?" Tristan asked with a hint of a smile.

James didn't reply and turned around to examine the options before him which wasn't much. After some consideration, he selected the N7 Hurricane Submachine Gun and the M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol and passed them to EDI. She didn't quite know what to do with them – James and Tristan were used to seeing how soldiers handled new guns by testing the weight and feeling the grip.

"These will be sufficient," EDI decided. "Thank you, Agent Chase and Lieutenant Vega." She paused for a moment. "Shepard has ordered Dr T'Soni and Garrus to prepare for the mission. She also requests that you join Joker in the cockpit."

"Thanks, EDI," Tristan replied and then thanked James for his help.

She returned to the elevator just as Liara and Garrus exited in their hardsuits. Secretly, she hoped she wouldn't need to take the elevator for a long time. She was starting to get a bit sick of going up and then coming down again only to go up yet again. Hopefully, this wouldn't become a habit. Once she reached the cockpit, she took a seat in the co-pilot's chair. It looked as though EDI had prepared a few of the consoles up front to monitor her new body for any problems or surprises. While Tristan was not entirely sure what she was looking at, she guessed that if any of them flashed red then there was a problem. It was then that Tristan noticed Joker was uncharacteristically preoccupied.

"Joker?" Tristan prodded subtlety, giving him the option to either answer the question or avoid it completely.

Joker glanced at her and then focused on the console that informed him Lieutenant Cortez had left the Shuttle Bay. "I'm just not used to the idea of EDI going on groundside missions."

Tristan realised that Joker cared more about the AI than he let on. "Trust me, Joker. No one is used to that idea."

"You have a point," Joker admitted with a smile.

"Besides, I'm sure things will be fine," Tristan reassured. "I'm sure Cerberus personnel are more likely to shoot at Shepard or Liara than EDI. It's not like they expect her to be there or anything."

Joker grinned at that and they descended into companionable silence as they monitored the various screens and listened to the radio chatter streaming from the mission. A lab that was meant to study Reaper tech did not bode well and then factor in Cerberus…definitely not a good combination. Once the all too familiar sounds of combat and Shepard giving orders drifted over the radio, Tristan focused on the screens and moved them about when necessary. Compared to how they first looked, there wasn't much difference so that seemed to a good sign. The obvious lack of panic from the helmsman only confirmed this suspicion. When there was a reasonable pause in combat, Tristan activated her radio.

"Readings appear to be normal and stable, Commander," she said.

"_Keep me posted if it changes,"_ Shepard ordered.

"Aye, aye, Commander."

One of the other consoles lit up briefly, informing them that Shepard had just collected some new data. Tristan curiously brought it up and glanced over the results.

"_Huh. 'Will only lead to medi-gel advances for the Hanar',"_ Shepard commented dryly. _"Only Cerberus would call that a failure."_

"I'll forward it to Dr Chakwas, in case she can learn anything from it," Tristan replied and tapped the console a few times.

"_Thanks, Tristan."_

The remainder of the mission progressed smoothly, as far as EDI was concerned. Tristan was frustrated that she could only hear Shepard, Liara, Garrus and EDI occasionally overwhelmed by Cerberus forces. At one point, Lieutenant Cortez even had to leave them behind to shake a few Cerberus fighters. Naturally, no one blamed him for it. Shepard, Liara, Garrus and EDI could handle themselves and Lieutenant Cortez getting himself killed wouldn't help anyone. Still, Tristan would have liked to be involved, if only to kill some Cerberus operatives. She hated the feeling of uselessness that descended on her but Shepard had decided that she should remain on the _Normandy_ and so she would stay.

There was a collective sigh of relief when Lieutenant Cortez was finally able to return after dropping out of contact for a few minutes and successfully picking Shepard and her squad. The mission had been a bit more…exciting than Tristan first thought it would be and it was possible that Shepard would feel the same way. It was doubtful that, if she had known things would get tense like that, she would have proceeded with letting EDI take her new body for a test drive. But, as reluctant as Tristan was to admit it, the body held up well and EDI handled the situation well. Perhaps Tristan's suspicion and paranoia was unnecessary.

Once the shuttle docked with the _Normandy_ once again, Shepard headed towards the Briefing Room to talk with Admiral Hackett and EDI approached the cockpit. Tristan got to her feet to allow EDI to have her chair back and then walked towards the Galaxy Map to wait for Shepard. Specialist Traynor was intently focused on something and was working furiously. Whatever she was analysing must be important if she hadn't noticed Tristan's arrival. Shepard emerged from the War Room and immediately made a path straight to Tristan.

"How did EDI do?" Shepard asked innocently.

Tristan sighed in defeat. "EDI did well. She adapted quickly and it doesn't look like she has any hidden loyalty to Cerberus, considering how many employees she just killed. I was wrong."

"I'm glad to hear it," Shepard replied. "I need to know that, if it comes to it, will you be able to work in a squad with EDI?"

Tristan considered the question carefully before answering. "I think so. The first mission or so, I'll keep a close eye on her. I can't promise more than that."

"Fair enough," Shepard allowed.

"And I do believe you owe me a beer."

Shepard's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? How do you figure that?"

"You mean you don't consider your shuttle pilot – and person responsible for providing you with an exit strategy – having to unexpectedly flee so as not to get overwhelmed and needing to pull some or other dangerous stunt which then causes him to drop out of contact for minutes while you continue to fight for your lives as your position is swarmed by Cerberus personnel as 'things going horribly wrong'?"

"Well, when you put it like that…Fine," Shepard decided with some force. "The next time we're on the Citadel, your first beer is on me."

Tristan's smugness was short-lived as Specialist Traynor called the Commander over. She couldn't hear the whole conversation and only caught the occasional words, such as Grissom Academy, Cerberus, fake signal and Collector Base. What the Collector Base had to do with Grissom Academy, she had no idea but whatever was happening made Shepard very serious and yet she was proud of Specialist Traynor. Shepard walked back over to Tristan.

"Specialist Traynor has found evidence that suggests Cerberus is attacking Grissom Academy," Shepard explained.

It seemed like an odd target. "Why?" Tristan asked with a frown.

"I'm not entirely sure," Shepard answered. "Traynor mentioned that there are still a few Alliance projects that are active there. Maybe Cerberus wants to sabotage them or collect data for their own experiments."

"Sounds like something Cerberus would do," Tristan replied. "If I remember correctly, Grissom Academy is a school designed for gifted and Biotic children. Whatever projects are still being worked on there would definitely be impressive."

Shepard gave her a curious look. "You sound like you're familiar with Grissom Academy."

Tristan shrugged dismissively. "Only with the brochure. I was given an opportunity to either teach the biotic children for a short time and prepare them for combat situations or continue with my B-training. I think it's obvious which one I took. And my niece was also interested in applying there."

"Consider yourself a part of the ground team," Shepard decided. "We'll head there immediately. I don't like to think about what Cerberus is doing to the students that are still there."

"I agree. The sooner Cerberus leaves Grissom Academy, the better."

While Shepard headed towards the cockpit to chat with EDI, Tristan headed to the elevator so she could return to her quarters and double check her guns before the next mission. When she arrived in the Cargo Hold, she heard an unfamiliar voice and mentions of the Collectors. That was odd, considering the Collectors were defeated months ago. She looked to the side and saw Lieutenant Cortez was hunched over a recording. It certainly explained the unfamiliar voice. Sometimes she forgot that many of the crew members had lost loved ones either during the Collector attacks on Human colonies or with the Reaper invasion of Earth.

This was obviously a private moment so she quickly retreated to her quarters and once her door was closed, she placed a finger to her radio. "Specialist Traynor, can you do me a favour?"

"_Of course, Agent Chase. What do you need?"_

"When you see Shepard, please tell her she should come down to the Cargo Hold. I think Lieutenant Cortez needs a friend."

"_As soon as she is finished in the cockpit, I'll pass the message along."_

"Thanks."

Even though she was in charge of the 'people person' criteria of the XO's duties, Tristan wasn't very good at handling crying people. Somehow, she always managed to make the situation ten times worse so it was easier to send Shepard in and would probably help a lot more. She walked over to her weapons locker and pulled out her heavy pistol and submachine gun. She had cleaned them after Palaven but she needed to be absolutely sure that they wouldn't misfire on her so she sat on her bed with her legs crossed and took the guns apart, cleaned them, double checked that everything was in working order and then put them together again. She couldn't wait to kick some Cerberus butt.


	8. The Psychotic Biotic

**Just as a brief note on formatting: whenever words are in Italics, this means that the person is talking over the radio. If it's like normal dialogue, then it is between squad members. If '**_**::**_**' appears before it, then it's communication from other people such as Joker, Lieutenant Cortez, EDI and, in this instance, Kahlee Sanders. Also, some words in the middle of sentences will be capitalized. This is done on purpose and will refer to any attacks made by biotics, such as Lift, Pull, Warp, etc. or other skills, such as Sabotage, Overload, Incinerate, etc.**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story and added it to your favourites and alerts. It is greatly appreciated.**

**Chapter 8: The Psychotic Biotic**

Tristan restlessly paced along the relatively small width of her quarters. Her hardsuit had been completely cleaned and practically shined in the artificial lighting. Her guns were equally as clean and in perfect working order with one or two upgrades Shepard had picked up. Grissom Academy was still a few hours away and it felt like it was taking forever. Tristan had successfully run out of things she could do which wasn't much. The thought of Cerberus attacking Grissom Academy made her angry – especially considering Kiera so was close to attending, if it weren't for the Reaper invasion – and she was so restless for a fight that Tristan struggled to focus on much for more than a few seconds.

And then an idea popped into her head. James kept a punching bag close to his station, not that he used it much. He preferred to do pull ups, most notably when female crew members were present so he could adequately show off. Tristan peeked through her door to see if James was anywhere nearby. He must be upstairs, grabbing something to eat or challenging Joker to a game of poker, not that beating the helmsman was much of a challenge. He had _the_ worst poker face. He wouldn't mind if she borrowed his punching bag…probably.

Tristan backed into her quarters and took off her leather jacket and her boots. Then she went digging in her footlocker until she found her wraps and changed her pants into a pair of grey slacks. Once she tied her hair into a ponytail, she was satisfied that it was more suitable attire for beating the crap out of an inanimate object and then left her quarters. The cold floor made her shiver but she ignored it and made her way over to James' work area. Some time passed with Tristan hitting the bag with various punches and kicks and her attention was solely focused on getting rid of her pent up anger so she was oblivious to James' approach.

"I don't think that's a fair fight, Slick," he commented after she hit the bag with a mean right hook.

Tristan stood back for a moment, breathing hard. "I think I can handle myself."

James chuckled and folded his arms in front of his chest. "I meant for the bag."

Tristan smiled a bit sheepishly. She was used to people underestimating her fighting abilities. "Do you have a better idea?"

"We could dance," he suggested with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. It wasn't often that she had been asked to dance, even though she knew James' version of dancing was more her type of thing. "All right, lieutenant. You're on."

James grinned and they walked towards the centre of the Cargo Hold where they would have more room to manoeuvre without hitting anything and then stood facing each other. He definitely had strength and muscles on his side but she had speed and agility on hers. It was usually enough to avoid any new bruises and when it wasn't, she was also able to deftly block although she reasoned blocking a punch from James would likely result in a new bruise anyway. They both raised their hands up in front of them in a defensive stance and waited for the other to make the first move. James lunged forward and Tristan evaded by jumping backwards a fraction. He was faster than he looked. With that in mind, they continued to spar.

Tristan's tactics involved dancing close and then spinning out of the way at the last second. This way, her opponent would get tired out and their attempts would get clumsy. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to have much effect on James who had gotten closer to hitting her than before. Maybe it was because Tristan was putting some effort into fighting fair. It was because of this that she soon found her back pinned against James' chest with her arms crossed in front of her chest and James holding her wrists quite tightly at shoulder height. Perhaps she should have feinted instead of going in for the punch. She really should try avoiding fighting dirty on occasion, just for variety. It was during this particular moment that Shepard chose to emerge from the elevator and give them a strange look.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked as she approached.

James chuckled in answer. "Just my victory, Lola."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. She wasn't aware that the fight was over. James did make a crucial mistake though: he let his guard down and she could feel his grip loosening. The words had barely left his mouth when Tristan hooked her right foot around his right ankle and pulled it forward. To ensure it had the desired effect, she also leant most of her weight against him. The sudden move and shift in weight unbalanced James and he fell over backwards, completely releasing his grip in the process. Tristan used the momentum to roll sideways off of James and knelt beside him.

"Your victory, was it?" she asked with a smirk and got to her feet.

James looked momentarily confused and then smiled. Tristan offered James a hand and helped him back to his feet. Shepard was also grinning, clearly amused by the sudden turn of events. Tristan admired James. He certainly wasn't a bad loser and didn't lecture her for using his distraction against him, like a few people would. It was refreshing to see and she decided that the next time they were on the Citadel, she would buy James a beer…after Shepard bought her a beer first.

"We're coming up on Grissom Academy," Shepard answered the unasked question. "You're both coming with me so you better get geared up."

Tristan nodded once. "As you wish, Commander."

James gave her a sidelong look. "Don't think this is over, Slick. I want a rematch."

She grinned as she returned to her quarters to grab her gear. It was surprising how much a spar had improved her mood…perhaps it was less about the sparring and more about her dancing partner. It didn't take her long to get ready because her hardsuit and her guns were laid out on her bed. Shepard, Garrus and James were getting their guns ready when Tristan emerged. She was interested in seeing how Garrus would handle himself in a situation where his home planet was not at risk. Soldiers tended to fight more courageously when their homes were in danger.

_::Uh…Commander? We may have a problem.::_

Joker sounded serious which was a definite indication that there _was_ a problem. Shepard must have agreed with her analysis.

"Thanks, Joker. I'm on my way," she replied and left without another word.

Garrus, James and Tristan waited in silence for Shepard's return. Whatever this problem was, the Commander would think up a way around it and all they had to do was wait for orders. After a few minutes, Shepard returned with a determined look on her face.

"Cerberus has the Academy surrounded. Joker is going to provide a distraction and we'll go in via shuttle," she explained simply and nodded in the direction of the shuttle.

Lieutenant Cortez already had the shuttle ready to go and they followed Shepard's silent order. Once they were all inside and comfortable, Lieutenant Cortez piloted the shuttle out of the Cargo Hold and then waited patiently for the Cerberus fighters to be adequately distracted. All the occupants watched curiously to see what sort of trick the helmsman pulled out of his hat. Joker did not disappoint. Once the coast was clear, Lieutenant Cortez headed towards the space station with Shepard standing just behind his chair. Wow, she loved to hover.

Lieutenant Cortez managed to dock at what looked to be a cargo port. Tristan presumed there was a reason why they weren't using the front door…Cerberus must have taken control of the docks. The organisation might be utterly insane and fanatical but that didn't mean they were stupid which made them a dangerous enemy. The squad disembarked silently and found themselves in a large corridor. Even though Tristan doubted it would be the height of social interaction during a normal day, it was still too quiet for her. It certainly didn't bode well. A few scorch marks on the walls just added to the uneasy atmosphere.

_::Commander, I'm locked in a server room around the corner. Cerberus troops are trying to get in.::_

The voice was unknown to Tristan and unmistakeably female. Judging by the lack of confusion on Shepard's face, this woman was probably how they managed to get in to the Academy and would likely provide them with further help, assuming they could get to her before Cerberus. As they approached a door that would lead them further down the corridor, Shepard raised her right fist to order them to stop. From the other side of the door, they could hear voices. Tristan's assassin training took over as she broke down the group ahead.

"Male, maybe four. Not attempting to keep their voices down, assume hostiles," she said in a whisper and then heard a soft hissing sound. "Likely using a blowtorch of some kind to get through the door. Dangerous, if used as a weapon."

Shepard nodded once and then took out her shotgun. James followed her lead and took out his own shotgun while Garrus grabbed his assault rifle and Tristan drew her heavy pistol. They approached the door slowly and quietly. The moment the door opened, the Cerberus soldiers realised they were not alone and scrambled to find cover while shooting their guns. Shepard and Tristan took cover on either side of the door. Garrus and James hung back a bit and found cover a bit behind them. Tristan exchanged a glance with Shepard who then leant out and fired her shotgun at whichever soldier she could. Accuracy was not the point. It provided Tristan with an opening to roll forward diagonally and find better cover closer to the soldiers. The moment she was safe, Shepard retreated behind cover and James took her place.

One soldier had seen Tristan and was firing mercilessly at her cover. She crouched low and peeked around the wall that was providing protection. She was forced to hide again. Shepard, James and Garrus had their own targets to deal with so Tristan had to fire blindly. The soldier's approximate location was fresh in her mind and rather than waste ammo, she casually flicked a Warp around her cover. She quickly followed the Warp and leant around her cover. Even if her biotic attack did not find its target, it still forced the soldier to stop firing for a few moments. This was all the time Tristan needed and she fired four bullets at the soldier: three to wear down the shield and one between the eyes.

Shepard and James were attacking a pair of soldiers that were hiding behind the same cover, alternating who would take the shot. The shotgun made up for its lack of accuracy with wide shots which allowed Shepard and James to hit both soldiers at once, wearing down their shields and making it difficult for them to get a shot off at either James or Shepard as they would quickly retreat behind cover once they had fired a shot and the other would pop out of cover and fire. Garrus was focused on killing the target closest to the door. By the time Tristan was able to kill her target, the others had also killed theirs and the corridor was cleared.

They made their way towards the door that Cerberus was attempting to open and found it had been forced slightly ajar.

"Sanders, it's Commander Shepard. We're coming in," she announced and then opened the doors.

So, the mysterious woman went by the name of Sanders. Tristan still didn't have a clue who this woman might be although the name sounded vaguely familiar. Regardless, they entered the room with their weapons drawn just in case Cerberus managed to get in. One wall was lined with computer terminals and the rest of the room…well, it was a mess. Chairs and tables had been turned on their sides; the walls and floor were scorched black in some places and glass littered the floor in other places. They had barely taken a few steps inside when a woman revealed herself. She had been hiding behind an overturned table and she was armed with an assault rifle.

Instinctively, Tristan pointed her heavy pistol at this woman. Once she lowered her assault rifle, Tristan lowered her gun and she heard the others holster theirs. Now that the rifle was no longer pointing at them, Tristan finally looked at the woman: blonde shoulder length eye, grey eyes and an Alliance uniform – not the standard soldier's uniform but that of a ranked officer. Whoever this woman was, she must be pretty important in Grissom Academy. Reluctantly, Tristan returned her pistol to its holster.

"Thank you, Commander," the woman said in relief. "Admiral Anderson always said you were the best. And with Cerberus coming for my students, I need the best."

The way she said the Admiral's name indicated a certain level of familiarity which meant she was not idly name dropping to gain either favour or influence with her rescuers. Shepard, for her part, smiled at the compliment. The metaphoric penny suddenly dropped for Tristan. This woman must be the headmaster of Grissom Academy, Kahlee Sanders. If Tristan had accepted the teaching position, this woman would have been her boss. And Cerberus was after the students. Sanders' choice of words made it sound like Cerberus wanted to kidnap the students and not kill them. It made sense, to some degree. Many students were not biotics and had impressive skill in other departments. Cerberus would want them…but why would they want the biotics too?

"How many of your students are still here?" Shepard asked, interrupting Tristan's thoughts.

"Fewer than twenty," Sanders answered confidently. "Most of our students were sent home when the Reaper invasion started."

She walked towards the nearest computer terminal and Shepard order the rest of her squad to return to the corridor and keep watch. They filed out the room while Shepard continued to converse with Sanders. The door that would lead them further into the Academy was currently locked and it was doubtful that more Cerberus soldiers would come from behind them so there wasn't much for them to do. The number of hostile targets on the space station was still an unknown so Tristan took out her Heavy Pistol and replaced her half used clip with a fresh clip then began searching the dead soldiers for spares. When she ran out of space, she passed whatever other clips she found to Garrus and James to replenish their supplies. They had no idea what they were going to face next so it was a smart move to be prepared for anything. The last thing they needed was to run out of ammo.

Shepard returned shortly and Tristan tossed her a few spare clips. The Commander took them without a word or a look of surprise that Tristan was looting the bodies of dead Cerberus personnel and gave the signal to move out, indicating the locked door ahead of them. She took point with James just behind her and Garrus and Tristan following just behind them.

_::I'll get the door for you. It leads to Orion Hall.::_

"Copy that," Shepard replied and then glanced at her squad. "Our priority is to rescue the students and bring them back here so we can return to the shuttle. Check your targets – there'll likely be friendlies mixed with hostiles."

"Aye, aye, Commander."

When they reached the door, Sanders came through and the door opened. The corridor led to a T-junction with a short corridor to their left and a longer corridor to their right. There was also thick glass that separated them from a parallel corridor. This wouldn't have been a big deal if not for the Cerberus soldiers casually dragging a young man by his ankle down the corridor. He was screaming and thrashing about wildly, trying to get free of his captors. Obviously, he was not a biotic and he also confirmed Tristan's suspicions: Cerberus wanted these people alive. This didn't help to quell the anger she felt rising once again. Shepard ordered them to stand down, for some reason and they waited until they disappeared.

"There was nothing we could have done for him, other than get him killed," Shepard explained in a whisper. "That's reinforced glass. Our bullets – and biotics – wouldn't do anything."

Tristan nodded wordlessly and they headed down the corridor to their right. As they progressed further into the station, they became aware of someone talking over the intercom system. This voice belonged to someone entirely loyal to Cerberus and was attempting to sway the students to join them. At first, it made Tristan angrier. Then she realised something: if it was continuing to play, the students must be putting up a fight and resisting. Now, it was just annoying but there was nothing they could do about it.

They soon entered a large room which was also in a huge mess. The voices of nearby Cerberus soldiers caught their attention and Shepard ordered the squad to halt. It sounded as if they were trying to convince someone to…lower their barrier and even threatened their sister. The soldier also mentioned something about a file indicating that this particular biotic's file indicated that Cerberus needed them alive. Shepard had ordered her squad to stop so they could get their bearings. It sounded as if the Cerberus soldiers were to their left. They silently inched forward. Surprise was on their side and Shepard intended on keeping it there.

There were also other corridors that led to other doors that were either blocked or locked. Even though they didn't intend on using these doors, the walls that divided the corridors did provide excellent cover. Shepard, James, Tristan and Garrus knelt by the wall and carefully peered around it. A young student had a barrier around him and a pretty strong one at that although he was slowly getting tired. Two Cerberus soldiers had their backs towards Shepard's squad. Shepard was silent for a moment and then looked to Tristan, giving her the orders to kill them…quietly. She could do that.

Tristan got to her feet and walked down the corridor silently until she was standing dead centre with enough space between herself and the Cerberus soldiers. She also made sure not to spook the kid. With her right hand, she took out her knife and biotically threw it at the soldier to her left. The guard hit the ground with a lot of force, startling his partner. He didn't have much time to acknowledge what had happened because Tristan enveloped him in blue energy and tossed him upwards. She then clenched her hand in a tight fist and pulled downwards quickly. The Cerberus soldier was slammed into the floor with brutal strength.

"You really should pick on somebody your own size," Tristan muttered angrily.

Shepard, James and Garrus came to stand beside her.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Shepard commented seriously.

Tristan smiled in answer and slowly approached the kid. "We're here to help, We're not going to hurt you."

The young boy slowly allowed his barrier to dissipate and swayed for a few moments. Tristan had to wonder how long he had kept that barrier up for. She reached into one of her pouches of her hardsuit and pulled out an energy bar that was uniquely formulated for biotics to help them keep their energy up and gave it to the student. Once he cautiously took it and started to eat it, Shepard approached slowly.

"There may be more Cerberus soldiers hanging around," she explained softly. "Play dead until it's safe and then head to security. Kahlee Sanders is there."

The young boy nodded slowly and lowered himself to the floor. Tristan retrieved her knife and put it back where it belonged.

"My sister Seanne is out here somewhere too," the boy added.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "What's your name?"

"Reilly Bellamine."

"I'm Tristan; this is Shepard, James and Garrus. We're going to get you, your sister and every other student out of here safely, okay?"

Reilly nodded again and Shepard gave her a weird look. Tristan shrugged in answer – she was capable of handling delicate situations, she just preferred explosions - and they continued on their way until they reached a classroom of some sort, or so Tristan assumed. The desks were arranged in the typical school-like manner with about six desks that looked like two students could fit with computer terminals facing a much larger desk on the other side of the room. The doors on the opposite side of where Shepard's squad entered suddenly opened and they immediately sought out cover.

A young girl came running in and Tristan could tell she was being chased. Instinctively, she reached out with her biotics and pulled the girl towards them. Her timing was perfect because the soldiers opened fire on the spot where she would have been, if not for Tristan. Tristan quickly got to her feet and ran to the girl, grabbing her and pulling her behind a nearby desk. Thankfully, Shepard had anticipated this move so the others were prepared to provide cover fire until they were safe. The Cerberus soldiers were unprepared and two were killed instantly. More soldiers rushed in and opened fire.

Tristan took out her pistol and then looked to the girl. "I'm going to keep you safe but you need to stay with me."

The young girl's face was streaming with tears and she was shaking. Despite her terror, she nodded in understanding.

"_Is she injured?"_ Shepard asked over the radio. There was too much gunfire to shout at each other.

Tristan raised a finger to her radio. "No but she's terrified." She then sat up and fired a few rounds at a soldier and had to duck back down quickly. "Shepard, there's a generator for the shields just to the left."

Shepard popped up from behind her cover and then ducked down again. _"Got it. Hold your fire until I blow the generator."_

James and Garrus also stopped firing their weapons. Shepard nodded to her squad mates so they knew to get ready and then peered around her cover. She used Sabotage on the generator and it blew. The shields went down and James, Garrus and Tristan all opened fire on the Cerberus soldiers. After a second, Shepard added her shotgun to the fray too. Once they were sure all the soldiers were dead, Tristan holstered her pistol and turned to face the young girl.

"Kahlee Sanders and Reilly Bellamine are in the security room. Do you think you can make it?"

The girl hesitated for a second and then nodded.

Tristan offered her a reassuring smile and then pointed to the door that Shepard had led them through. "If you go that way, you'll be fine."

The girl nodded again and then made her way. When Tristan stood up, Shepard, Garrus and James approached.

"Do I need to keep an eye on you?" Shepard asked in concern.

Tristan's earlier move – although done for the right reasons – had been reckless. She could have gotten herself or the girl or the rest of the squad killed. It was in instances like this that Tristan's lack of experience working with other people became glaringly obvious. She was just lucky enough that Shepard knew her quite well and could anticipate her moves occasionally and that the squad was made up of extremely talented fighters.

"I'm fine," Tristan replied. "I just don't intend on breaking my promise to Reilly."

Shepard gave her a piercing look and then nodded, as if convinced of something. In those few moments of silence, they realised that the Cerberus Announcer's words had changed, mentioning Alliance soldiers were now on the station.

"That must be a live feed," Garrus said. "And not a pre-recorded broadcast."

"Cerberus must have the station's security feeds," James added.

Shepard didn't argue and immediately placed a finger to her radio. "Sanders, we believe that Cerberus may be watching the security feeds to get to your students. Is there any way to block them?"

_::I'll see what I can do, Commander, but I don't really have the training for this.::_

"I understand," Shepard replied. "EDI, can you get into Grissom Academy's security systems?"

_::Of course, Shepard. I will run interference with Cerberus where possible.::_

"Thanks, EDI."

"And see if you can shut down this broadcast," Tristan interjected. "It's starting to _really_ annoy me."

In answer, the broadcast was shut down and the announcer was cut off midsentence. Perhaps EDI wasn't so bad. They walked into the next room with their guns at the ready. While they searched the room to make sure there weren't any surprises, they stumbled on another young girl in the corner. She was clearly exhausted and had collapsed to the floor. It also looked as though she may have been injured.

"Stay back!" she ordered weakly. "Or I'll-I'll-"

Shepard immediately looked to Tristan while the others hung back. Tristan didn't need to be asked twice and holstered her weapon. She wouldn't deny she had a soft spot for these kids – not only because they were biotics. They had made a decision to stay here and train so they could help the Alliance fight against the Reapers while other students went home. They couldn't even get the same amount of dedication from the blasted Asari. And these kids were willing to put their lives on the line because they had the skill to do so. And many were putting up a strong fight against Cerberus. That was reason enough to like them.

Tristan raised her hands to show she didn't have a weapon and crouched. "I'm not going to hurt you. We're on your side." There was a certain familiarity about this girl. "Are you Seanne?"

This snapped the girl out of her exhaustion. "How…how do you know my name?"

"We met your brother, Reilly. He's safe," Tristan explained and carefully inched closer to Seanne. When she was close enough, she offered Seanne a hand and helped her to sit up properly. "I'm going to reach into my pouch, all right?" Seanne nodded slowly and Tristan passed her another one of her energy bars. "Reilly is with Kahlee Sanders in security. The way should be clear of Cerberus."

"Thank you," Seanne replied and slowly stood up with Tristan's help. "I just need to rest for a minute."

Tristan looked to Shepard and nodded to indicate that she was going to be all right. Shepard led them down another corridor until they reached a door. 'Orion Hall' was clearly marked on the wall nearby. At least they were going in the right direction.

_::Commander, I just got an emergency message from the students inside Orion Hall. One of our instructors is with them but they can't hold out much longer.::_

"I understand, Sanders. We're nearly there," Shepard replied and then noticed something nearby: a generator was hooked up to a laptop. "Maybe this will help."

Shepard used sabotage to destroy the generator and Sanders' voice soon came over the intercom system. At least it was better than the Cerberus announcer and any students they missed would hopefully find their way to safety. They rushed forward towards Orion Hall and the doors opened automatically at their approach. When they entered, a young woman with a lot of tattoos and an interesting hairstyle managed to kill two Cerberus soldiers with one biotic attack. That was pretty impressive.

"Jack?" Shepard asked in surprise.

The woman looked up and was equally surprised. "Shepard?"

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Yet another former crew member, I take it?"

Shepard ignored the comment and Tristan looked to James, considering they both wondered just how many they would cross paths with and found him unabashedly staring at Jack and her interesting wardrobe. Tristan nudged him in the ribcage to get his attention once again as a Cerberus Atlas fired a rocket. Jack slid across the floor and placed a barrier around herself and one of her students. Tristan got the distinct impression that you did not want to mess with Jack…of course, the fact that she used to be in prison and was supposedly the most powerful human biotic ever added to this impression. Oh, the stories Shepard told her about Jack…

The Atlas was about to fire another rocket at Jack but Shepard ordered her squad to open fire on the giant mech, effectively attracting its attention. This was going to be fun. Jack retreated so she could protect her students and more Cerberus soldiers filed into the room. Jack yelled something at her students but Tristan didn't pay much attention. The squad dove behind cover and Tristan came to a decision.

"Shepard, I'll handle the Atlas," she said over her radio.

A burst of gunfire. _"Are you sure?"_

"Yeah," Tristan replied. "Just keep the soldiers off me."

"_You got it,"_ Shepard replied. _"You heard her."_

James and Garrus changed position so they could fire at the soldiers. Tristan waited a few moments before getting to her feet and sprinting towards the Atlas in a straight line. The Atlas fired a rocket at her so she biotically Lifted the rocket. It had the desired effect and while it didn't go off in a completely different direction, it missed her and allowed her to keep running. When she was close enough, she dropped to the floor and slid between its legs so she was now behind it. This was when her agility would come in handy: she quickly climbed up its back, even as the soldier driving it attempting to get her off, and soon found herself holding on to the top.

"Shepard, grenade!" Tristan yelled.

Shepard killed a Cerberus soldier and then tossed a sticky grenade at Tristan. Tristan managed to catch, even as the Atlas went around in circles so she would lose her grip. She hooked it onto her belt and pulled herself up onto the top of the Atlas. She then grabbed her Heavy Pistol and pointed it between her feet, directly at the soldier's head. The soldier started to laugh as she fired at the reinforced glass. A sniper rifle would struggle to shoot through the glass so a Heavy Pistol would have no chance whatsoever. Luckily, Tristan didn't intend on shooting her way through the glass. The Heavy Pistol was just to weaken it.

Once she emptied an entire clip into the same spot, she knelt down and holstered her gun. Then she tightened her right hand into a fist and mustered all the biotic energy she could and she punched through the glass. Between the weakened glass, the armoured fist and the biotic energy, it broke quite easily although her hardsuit glove might need to get repaired. The soldier drew his gun and started to fire through the gap, forcing Tristan to lean backwards. This would have been a problem if she intended on shooting him. Instead, she took the sticky grenade, activated it and casually dropped it through the hole that was just big enough for the grenade.

This was the fun part. Tristan stood up, slid down the front of the Atlas and ran along one of its arms. As she reached the end of it, she somersaulted off just as the driver's seat exploded. She landed on the ground and immediately went into a roll as the rest of the Atlas exploded. The force of the explosion unbalanced her so she ended up sprawled across the floor in a very undignified manner. She looked up and noticed Shepard's amusement, even as she continued to fire at Cerberus soldiers. Tristan silently groaned. She was never going to hear the end of this.

Shepard then gave her a quick hand signal to indicate that they were going to give her some suppressing fire so she would have a chance to find some decent cover. Tristan got back to her feet and hurried over o e nearby column. While she fought the Atlas, the others had killed pretty much every Cerberus soldier in the room, except for two or three. Garrus seemed to be having some trouble with his target and Tristan sent a helpful Warp to even the odds. Shepard and James killed the last ones and they regrouped, giving Tristan a chance to place a fresh clip in her Heavy Pistol.

Tristan then gave Shepard a look. "Not a word."

"All right," Shepard agreed, obviously holding back laughter.

"So…Slick, where'd you learn that last move?" James asked innocently, even as Garrus chuckled behind him.

Tristan rolled her eyes and the extremely amused Shepard walked towards the centre of the room to see if Jack and her students, who were a level above, were all right and unharmed. Garrus and James were still chuckling as they walked. Jack was leaning against the railing and looking down at them. The students were also watching them curiously

"Kahlee said she was putting out an SOS," Jack said with a scoff. "I had no idea the Queen of the Girl Scouts would show up."

"Queen of the Girl Scouts?" Tristan repeated and regarded Shepard. "It suits you, Nads."

Shepard ignored her and Jack started to talk to her students. They couldn't quite hear what she was saying but Shepard watched Jack expectantly, trying to figure out what their next move should be. Jack then casually jumped over the railing and used her biotics to slow her descent so she wouldn't injure herself. Once she regained her footing, she walked straight up to Shepard and punched her. Shepard obviously wasn't seriously hurt and it seemed more like I-have-a-point-to-make sort of punch rather than I-wish-you-were-dead punch so the squad stood down.

"Damn it, how many times did I tell you not to trust Cerberus?" Jack demanded.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. She suddenly liked this Jack very much and not just because she could throw a mean right hook.

Shepard gingerly rubbed her cheek. "I know, Jack. I got the same lecture from Tristan. You're not telling me anything I haven't already told myself."

Jack glanced at Tristan. "What's your beef with Cerberus?"

"They exist. Isn't that reason enough?" Tristan replied.

Jack smiled. "I think we may get along just fine." Then she focused back on Shepard. "Oh, you feel bad? Well, shit, I bet that's a real comfort to all of the people Cerberus has killed."

"And I bet all the Cerberus soldiers I've killed are a real comfort to you," Shepard countered with the same level of sarcasm. She must be getting annoyed with all the 'I told you so's.

Jack was a bit amused and then turned serious. "Right now, all I care about is getting my kids out of here."

"Your kids?" Shepard repeated sceptically.

Jack chuckled a bit and then looked up at her students fondly. "Yeah, I guess so."

Shepard smiled. "That's great, Jack. I can't think of anyone who could care about them more. Or teach them how to kick some Cerberus ass."

"Well, I had some free time while you were playing hero," Jack replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Alliance brass knew I helped you. They offered me this and, apparently, the students respond well to my teaching style."

The students hanging around grinned widely.

"The Psychotic Biotic," a teenaged boy remarked teasingly.

"'I will destroy you!'" a young girl quoted with much enthusiasm.

Tristan couldn't stop herself from grinning. She could see the advantages of teaching but she was a Black Ops Agent. She couldn't see herself doing what Jack was obviously good at.

"Drink your juice, Rodriguez," Jack teased the young girl. "You couldn't destroy wet tissue paper."

_::Cortez to Extraction Team. The Cerberus Cruiser is coming back.::_

All signs of amusement disappeared from the squad. This was not good news.

"How long have we got?" Shepard asked, turning away from the students to face her squad mates.

_::Two minutes tops, Commander. After that, there's no way we'll get past them.::_

That was even worse news. They wouldn't be able to get back to the shuttle in two minutes.

"Return to the _Normandy_, Lieutenant. We'll find another way off the station," Shepard ordered.

_::Roger that. Good luck, Commander.::_

"Shepard to Sanders. Your students are safe but the shuttle is a no-go," Shepard informed her.

Tristan noticed that these words immediately caught Jack's attention. She really cared about her kids. And she hated Cerberus. It was safe to assume that the terrorist organisation did not stand a chance.

_::Understood. I might know another way off the station but I need station-wide camera access. Can you disable the Cerberus security override? It's routed through Orion Hall so it should be near your position.::_

"I'm on it."


	9. The Cerberus Assholes

**I finally have an update and I apologise for the long delay. Schoolwork is taking up the majority of my time and will continue to do so for a little while. I have three weeks of school left and then exams and then I will be free to write for a while. Even so, I am still able to write a bit ever now and then so I don't know when my next update will be. If a lot of time passes between updates, please note that I am not giving up on this story or my other story. On the plus side, I can now include the DLC Leviathan and Extended Cut so please be advised of these spoilers as well.**

**Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for your reviews, favourites and alerts. I am having a lot of fun writing this story and I hope you have just as much fun reading it.**

**Chapter 9: The Cerberus Assholes**

Tristan, James and Garrus split up to search the room for the Cerberus laptop while Shepard spent some time catching up with Jack. They didn't mind, considering how much Shepard and Jack had been through together. It was also Tristan's opinion that Shepard needed to relax so if speaking to a former crew member helped then who was she to argue? The room was quite large with chairs lining the walls which didn't really leave many places to hide a laptop. The students were still chatting excitedly amongst themselves while they ate some energy bars and drank their juice as per Jack's orders. Apparently, they didn't see much action as there was little fear. It was hardly surprising but it was still good to see their enthusiasm.

Tristan skirted around the remains of the Atlas she had destroyed and inspected the corner. Something metallic was poking out from beneath one of the chairs and Tristan cautiously walked forward. It was possible that Cerberus could have planted a bomb, however unlikely. She still wasn't taking the chance. When she got closer, she knelt on the ground, peering carefully under the chair and found a laptop. As it was hard to tell if it was _the_ laptop (not that there were many reasons to hide a laptop in a school for biotic children under attack by a terrorist organisation), Tristan pulled it out and placed it on one of the chairs. Based on the information that was displayed on the monitor, it was the laptop they were looking for.

A flash of light on her left suddenly attracted her attention and she found a discarded datapad lying on the seat of another chair within arm's reach. It must have been tossed aside by whichever Cerberus soldier had placed the laptop here. Curiously, she picked it up, hoping that it held vital intel that could help them. It was a long shot. Instead, she was disgusted by the information the datapad held. It named Prangley, one of Jack's students, as a high priority target due to his biotic abilities and leadership scores. It further stated that he was a prime candidate for indoctrination and therefore needed to be kept alive. Tristan felt sick to her stomach. All she had to do was close her fist with her biotics and it would be destroyed. But Shepard needed to see it and destroying the datapad wouldn't destroy the orders.

Tristan placed a finger to her radio. "I found the laptop."

Shepard, Garrus and James walked over to her position, immediately picking up on her grim mood. Before Shepard could ask, she handed over the datapad and Shepard's expression soon mirrored her own. She passed it over so James and Garrus could also read it.

"Those…bastards," Shepard muttered threateningly.

"It explains why Cerberus is attempting to capture the students, rather than kill them," Garrus said and even he sounded disgusted.

James nodded his head in Jack's direction. "Should we tell her?"

Shepard shook her head. "Right now, she is focused on protecting her students. If she reads this datapad, it may shift to killing every Cerberus soldier in this place. While that's not a bad thing, we need her to focus on her students. They'll follow her instructions to the letter. I doubt they would listen to us with the same amount of obedience. Jack also seems to keep them calm, all things considered. If they see their teacher lose it completely…I don't think it will end well. And I would like to keep Tristan's promise to Reilly."

Tristan smiled slightly, feeling better about the situation and knowing she wouldn't have to break a promise. Shepard approached the laptop and started to hit a few buttons. After a few minutes, the laptop powered down and Shepard placed a finger to her radio.

"Sanders, you should have access now."

There was a pause.

_::Got it…the fastest way is through the Atrium but Cerberus has sealed the doors. You'll need to disable the magnetic locks. The overrides should be directly above the door.::_

"Understood," Shepard replied and made her way towards the stairs and the room the students were waiting in.

Tristan made her way towards the door to make sure there weren't any surprises waiting for them on the other side. Jack was watching her closely while James and Garrus hung back a bit, in case one of them needed help with something. There was a loud whirring noise as the doors attempted to open. The doors were able to open a bit before they came to a stop. Tristan took a step back and then peered through the gap.

"The door's stuck, Shepard," Tristan said into the radio. "I'll see what I can do to open it. The corridor ahead looks clear though."

"_Copy that,"_ Shepard replied.

Tristan started to fiddle with the lock in an attempt to bypass it. It didn't work so Tristan turned to face James, who was standing closer than Garrus.

"James, mind giving me a hand with this?" she asked.

He grinned in return and walked up to the door, flexing his muscles as he walked. Tristan didn't know if this was an attempt to show off or it was in preparation of forcing the doors open. She stepped back to give James some space and he used his hands to wrench the door open. When the space was large enough, he stood in the gap and used his body to force it ajar until it opened all the way on its own. He dusted his hands off and turned to Tristan expectantly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Impressive."

He smirked and then looked behind her. She followed his line of sight and found that Shepard had brought the students down with her. They had gathered around Jack, waiting for direction and they glanced down the corridor suspiciously.

"Everyone, be ready," Shepard ordered and pulled out her shotgun. "We'll go first and draw their fire."

Jack nodded in answer and straightened her posture. "We'll shadow you from the second level and hit those fu…those _guys_ from above."

Tristan and Shepard both smiled at her attempt to stop herself from swearing, as did one or two students. It was cutting it pretty close but Jack managed to stop herself just in time. Why it was so important for her not to swear anymore, Tristan had no idea.

"It's a good strategy," Garrus agreed. "It'll protect the students from taking enemy fire."

Shepard glanced over the students before settling her gaze on Jack. "Time your shots carefully and stay safe. We'll do what we can to keep them focused on us but there's no guarantee that they won't fire at you."

She then took a few more moments to make sure Jack and her students had their omni-tools configured so they could pick up the radio chatter of the ground squad, just in case they needed to get orders across or ask for help. Jack then took that as her cue to deliver a rousing speech to her students.

"All right, I didn't bust my ass training you so you could die now. Keep low, pick your targets."

Tristan smirked. There was nothing quite like a military pep talk and while Jack wasn't strictly military, Shepard's influence must have rubbed off on her. Tristan really liked Jack. Just as they were about to press forward, the students' omni-tools lit up and a familiar voice droned over it.

_::Students of Grissom Academy, the station is sealed. The Alliance soldiers cannot save you. All they can do is get you killed. Surrender peacefully and you won't be harmed.::_

"Asshole," Jack retorted angrily.

"These people are seriously starting to piss me off," Tristan muttered threateningly and immediately brought up her omni-tool.

While Jack and Shepard attempted to calm the students down, Tristan started to do a backtrace to locate the source. EDI had managed to block the loudspeaker announcements but Cerberus managed to find another way. If they insisted on being so damn annoying, then Tristan planned on sending them a message to stop it. Her proximity to the students' omni-tools allowed her to use them to trace the signal before they changed the settings to private and EDI managed to bolster Tristan's own and helped her to trace Cerberus' own signal. By the looks of it, the broadcasts were coming from a Cerberus ship on the outside of the station. The others had noticed her working furiously on her omni-tool and were waiting to see what would happen.

"We found the source of the message," Tristan announced without looking up, fully aware that she had an audience.

"What do you plan on doing, exactly?" Shepard asked slowly.

Tristan grinned evilly. "EDI has her own way of dealing with Cerberus." Then she placed her finger to her radio. "EDI, overload their system with Joker's (her eyes drifted towards the young students and she decided to change her choice of words)…collection."

Jack, Shepard, Garrus and James shared Tristan's amusement even though the students were a bit confused. When EDI confirmed that Cerberus now had its own problems to deal with, they returned their attention to the students.

"Everyone ready?" Shepard asked and when all the students nodded in the affirmative, she tightened the grip on her shotgun. "Let's go."

Tristan took out her submachine gun and followed Shepard down the passage until they found themselves in the Atrium. Cerberus soldiers had already settled in and had placed a few turrets on the ground. The squad was forced to seek out cover almost immediately. Between the turrets and the Cerberus soldiers, they were pinned down and unable to move. Tristan suddenly doubted Cerberus had been honest in their requests. You don't set up turrets when you want kids to surrender peacefully. Tristan risked a glance over the low wall that was protecting her and had a second to commit the turret's location to memory before she had to duck down again.

She took a moment to make sure her submachine gun was fully loaded before blindly sending a Warp over her cover. When the turret started to make weird noises, almost like the gun had jammed, Tristan sat up again and emptied an entire clip into it, ignoring the gunfire she was attracting from the Cerberus soldiers. When her clip was empty, she sent another Warp at it. When she ducked behind cover once again, it took her a moment to realise that Shepard and Garrus had also been shooting at the turret. The sweet sound of the turret exploding followed shortly after. With one less automatic weapon, it provided a brief pause in the combat.

"_James, Tristan, I want you to focus on the turrets and any soldiers that get close. Garrus, use your sniper rifle to take out whichever soldiers you can. Jack, try to wear down the shields on the turrets,"_ Shepard ordered over the radio.

Tristan was suddenly jealous of Garrus and his sniper rifle. She so should have brought hers. The students started to send biotic attacks at the turrets and Jack was making sure they timed it so they wouldn't attract the turrets' attention. Tristan repositioned herself further to the right and closer to the stairs that a couple of soldiers were attempting to use. She peered around the corner. There were three of them and were currently focused on killing Shepard. The closest one was only a few stairs short of the top. Tristan enveloped him in blue energy, slammed him into the wall behind her and then threw him into the other two soldiers, forcing them to fall down the stairs in tangled confusion. Then she used her gun to finish them off.

"_Tristan, on your 10 o' clock,"_ Shepard suddenly said over the radio.

Tristan quickly looked to her left and found a pair of Cerberus soldiers behind large bulletproof shields were pinning Garrus down and preventing him from using his sniper rifle. She glanced to Shepard and held up two fingers with her left hand and then holstered her pistol. Shepard nodded and signalled to James what the plan was and he also nodded. Tristan suddenly stood up and held both her arms out. Both shields shimmered blue and Tristan pulled her arms towards her body. The shields were yanked forward and Shepard and James opened fire. Tristan immediately dropped to the floor and took out one of her energy bars, munching quickly. Generally speaking, using biotics on more than one target was not recommended. Even though she had incredible endurance, she had no way of knowing how long this fight would go on for.

Without the turrets, Cerberus was having a harder time firing at them but more and more continued to drop down from a ledge higher up. When they started to drop down, Tristan decided to use her biotics to toss them across the room and while it was only useful in getting rid of one or two soldiers at a time, it was useful especially when the students adopted the tactic and more soldiers went flying across the Atrium. Slowly, the ground squad was able to advance and they were also able to keep Cerberus from firing at the students, aside from a stray shot every now and then. Those responsible for the stray shots usually didn't live long enough to see what happened because Jack would take care of them.

Garrus also did a good job of thinning out the numbers of the soldiers camped on the other side of the Atrium, blocking the exit. There were a couple more turrets on this side of the room. Unfortunately, they also had an Atlas that continued to fire rockets at them, forcing them to remain behind cover.

"There are too many soldiers and not enough cover for me to take it on alone again," Tristan said over the radio, just after a rocket exploded against her cover.

Shepard attempted to look over her own cover – a chunk of a fallen pillar – and had to duck down quickly to avoid another rocket. _"Any suggestions?"_

Tristan considered it for a moment. "The glass is reinforced but it might be possible for a sniper rifle to break through after a few shots. All the shots will have to be aimed at the same spot though."

"_Garrus?"_

"_I'm on it, Shepard."_

"_Everyone else, supressing fire. We need to buy Garrus some time to line up his shots. Tristan, do you think you can keep the Atlas focused on you?"_ Shepard asked.

"It shouldn't be a problem, Commander," she answered and loaded a fresh clip into her gun.

"_If you can wear the shields down, it will make it easier for me,"_ Garrus added.

"I'll see what I can do," she replied.

"_James, you and I will draw the fire of the soldiers. Jack, focus on the turrets."_

Tristan glanced towards Garrus, who was further behind her. The Turian nodded to show he was ready and Tristan nodded back to let him know she was about to start. She took a deep breath in preparation and rolled sideways out of her cover. As soon as she was upright, she opened fire with her submachine gun in her right hand and sent a Warp with her left hand. It would have been suicide to stay in one place and she continued to move towards her right where a wall would give her some cover. The Atlas focused on her and she narrowly dodged the first rocket by leaning away from it. It was closer than she would have liked. A sniper rifle sounded and a shallow crack formed on the glass, right in front of the Atlas'…was it a pilot or a driver? Tristan decided it wasn't important and sent another Warp at the Atlas to make sure its attention was still focused on her.

A second sniper shot followed. Tristan then opened fire with her submachine gun and was promptly forced to roll behind cover to dodge its automatic weaponry. Once she was safely behind cover, she replaced her clip and took a few moments to catch her breath. She also broke another energy bar in half and stuck the piece in her mouth. This was no time to observe table manners. And she didn't know when the next opportunity would be for her to eat an energy bar. She really didn't want to take any chances right now, especially with these students counting on them.

"_Ready for round two?"_ Garrus asked.

Tristan swallowed and rolled her shoulders in preparation. "You know it."

She peered around the corner to make sure she wasn't about to run into a rocket and then rolled out from behind the wall, immediately opening fire. Within moments, Garrus fired a shot and then quickly followed it with another shot. The glass shattered and the last bullet had gone through, killing the driver…pilot…person…thing. Tristan opened fire on the nearest Cerberus soldier as she moved towards another spot to find cover. While she had been focused on the Atlas with Garrus, the others had managed to thin the ranks of soldiers and turrets. When they were certain the area was clear, the ground squad took some time to search the dead Cerberus soldiers for fresh clips to replenish their supplies.

Their path ahead was blocked so Shepard led them through a side corridor that would take them around the block and towards the door on the other side. As they walked, Shepard found another datapad and curiously picked it up. Her curiosity turned to grim frustration and she passed it to Tristan.

"These people need serious help," she remarked.

"What does it say?" James asked.

"It says that Prangley and Rodriguez are both high priority targets. The other students must be taken alive, if possible but their bodies can still be researched otherwise. They also have orders to recapture Jack and the best tactic would be to hold her students hostage," Shepard answered flatly.

They shared grim looks before moving on. After a few steps, Shepard decided to update Kahlee as they were safe for the moment.

"Kahlee, we're in the Atrium."

_::I'm taking a back route to the shuttles. I'll meet you there.::_

When the side corridor led them back into the Atrium, a few more Cerberus soldiers had arrived and were attempting to fortify their position with more turrets. These things were starting to get on Tristan's nerves. Jack and her students were still providing them with cover from above. They were still following Shepard's earlier orders and were concentrating their biotics on the turrets to wear the shields down. Tristan found cover nearby where she could stand and once the students had managed to break through the shields of the nearest turret, she opened fire until it exploded. Another Cerberus soldier caught her attention because he appeared to be preparing another turret. Before he could finish setting it up, Tristan took out her knife with her free hand and biotically threw it into his back to make sure it would break through his armour.

Unfortunately, another soldier opened fire on her and she had to retreat behind cover before she could pull her knife back. At least it gave her a chance to replace her clip. Jack was still keeping her students in line and every so often, her voice carried down below. It was usually instructing a student to keep their barriers up – mostly directed at Rodriguez – or praise for good work – mostly directed at Prangley. Tristan quickly changed cover and started to shoot at the nearest soldier and then changed targets to another engineer that was attempting to set up another turret. From her cover, she was able to retrieve her knife and just in time too.

Reinforcements started to come in from above and from the sounds coming from Jack, Rodriguez had been injured. It didn't sound serious so Tristan pushed the thought aside for the time being. As she leant with her back against her cover to catch her breath, she noticed two soldiers with the large shields coming down the stairs. Shepard, James and Garrus were currently busy; killing the other soldiers and attempting to keep their attention off the students. The other soldiers in the room were also ignoring Tristan for the time being. Tristan sheathed her knife and swapped her M-4 Shuriken submachine gun for her M-3 Predator Heavy pistol.

These bulletproof shields only protected the front of the soldiers. If she could get behind them, then the shields would be useless. Using her biotics to pull the shields from them would not work in this instance because she would be left vulnerable for the second soldier. Whatever she planned on doing needed to be quick and efficient so they wouldn't have the opportunity to shoot her. Just as a plan started to form in her mind, a soft clunk got her attention. On her right was a grenade, thrown by one of the other soldiers. She tilted her head in a 'that could work' manner and picked up the grenade just as the beeps started to speed up. She threw it between the two soldiers with shields just in time. It exploded just before it hit the ground and killed both of the soldiers instantly.

The Atrium suddenly fell silent and the squad got to their feet, now that the coast was clear. They regrouped closer to the door and once Shepard was sure her squad was unharmed, she turned towards Jack.

"How's everybody doing?" she called up.

"Rodriguez took one to the arm because she wasn't watching her barriers," was Jack's reply.

Well, getting shot was a painful enough experience that no one wanted it to happen again. A shot to the arm was a good lesson in learning to focus on keeping barriers up and Rodriguez would work extra hard to keep her barriers up in the near future to avoid getting shot again. Kahlee's voice suddenly came over the radio.

_::Commander, I've made it to the Cerberus shuttles without being detected. They know what they're doing though. You'll need to hurry.::_

"Don't worry, Kahlee. We know what we're doing too. We're on our way," Shepard replied and headed through the door.

Voices that belonged to some Cerberus soldiers carried down the corridor, mentioning something about all units falling back to the shuttle bay. That didn't bode well. It would make things harder once they got there. Then again, between Shepard and Tristan, Cerberus' chances of survival were pretty slim. Shepard led the way down the corridor until it formed a T-junction and connected to another passage which was better decorated than most of the corridors they had been through over the course of the day. On their left, there was a group of three students hiding behind a very impressive shield. It was impressive enough that it was holding a pair of Cerberus soldiers at bay. The soldiers had their back towards Shepard's group and one student was correcting them on how to pronounce her name. Tristan immediately liked this girl.

Shepard signalled James to remain in the corridor with her and then signalled Garrus and Tristan to take out the soldiers silently. Garrus then moved to the opposite side of the passage and took out his sniper rifle. Tristan remained where she was and took out her M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol. They each lined up their shots and within seconds, two shots were fired at the back of the Cerberus soldiers' heads, killing them instantly. Shepard immediately approached the students, moving slowly and keeping her hands where they could see them. Tristan, James and Garrus stood together, choosing to keep their distance while making sure no Cerberus soldiers ambushed them. Shepard was good at handling the delicate situations, after all.

Tristan had no idea how Shepard would pull this off. Octavia was obviously a smart cookie. She refused to trust Cerberus and knew they were lying. This would obviously apply to the ground squad now. Despite her brave face, Octavia was scared as were the other two students that were being protected by the shield. Scared teenagers were not quick to trust.

"I don't know who you are but stay back," Octavia warned when Shepard approached.

Shepard raised her hands to emphasize that she didn't have a weapon drawn. "I am Commander Shepard with the Alliance Navy. My squad and I (she gestured over her shoulder to indicate the others) are here to stop Cerberus and to help you."

"I didn't buy it from the last guy and I got no reason to buy it now," she replied defiantly.

A young man kneeling close to the shield generator suddenly started to mutter. "The square root of 906.01 equals…"

Tristan was confused by this. A few people she knew tended to recite things when they were nervous but none of them ever involved mathematics. Surprising still, Shepard was able to provide the answer.

"30.1."

Octavia was just as surprised as everyone else. The young man got to his feet and looked at Shepard directly.

"Hello, Commander Shepard," he greeted.

The other student was taken by surprise. "David, do you know her?"

"Yes," David answered. "She rescued me from Cerberus. Sent me here. She made it quiet."

Tristan shared a confused look with James and then noticed Garrus was not confused, or so she assumed. Perhaps he had been there when Shepard rescued this young man although how they kept track of them all, she had no idea. Octavia and the other student shared a look of their own and then decided to deactivate the shield.

"You did an amazing job of keeping yourselves safe," Shepard told the students as the others approached slowly. "The biotic students are up on the second floor. Stay close and we'll get you all out safely. We're not going to let Cerberus get close to you."

Octavia shifted nervously on her feet now that the shield was gone. "Okay. Uh…thanks."

David remained where he was and examined the shield generator while the other two students went on ahead.

"Has Grissom Academy been all right?" Shepard asked gently.

"Yes," David answered. "I've been counting."

"What have you been counting?" Shepard asked with some confusion.

"The number of days you lengthened my life." David smiled and then turned to face the door behind him. "The security office. I hacked the lock. Guns. Lots of guns. Goodbye."

Shepard smiled. "Thank you, David. Look after yourself."

He followed the students that left before him and Shepard led the way towards the security office.

"Who was that?" Tristan asked.

"David Archer," she answered simply. "Remember Project Overlord that I told you about?"

Tristan frowned. "The experiment where Cerberus tried to interface a human with a VI to communicate with the Geth?"

"That's the one," Shepard replied. "David was the test subject."

"That's loco," James said in mild disgust.

"Agreed," Tristan added.

The doors opened and revealed a large office. There were a few monitors along the walls. It was a complete mess but they did manage to find a few more thermal clips and an upgrade for a sniper rifle. Once they were sure the room was empty, they headed through the same door as the students. Along the way, Shepard found some schematics on a nearby computer for a biotic amp interface. They continued down the corridor until they stumbled into a room that had an engineer and a damaged Atlas. The engineer had not heard them approach and he had his back towards them so Shepard signalled to Garrus to take him out. Once the engineer was dead, they slowly approached the Atlas.

"We are pretty close to the shuttles and Cerberus won't like the students getting away," Shepard said quietly as she thoughtfully looked over the mech.

Tristan smiled. "Is that your way of saying Cerberus is likely going to throw everything they have at us and we need whatever help we can get?"

Shepard slowly started to smile. "I guess it is."

She slowly started to climb into the cockpit of the Atlas. Tristan, James and Garrus took out their weapons and then took a few steps back to let Shepard figure out what the controls would do without squashing them. Once Shepard was satisfied she had control of the Atlas – or, at least, wasn't likely to crash it into a wall – she started to walk up the stairs that would take them to the docking bay and their way out. Tristan took out her submachine gun, James readied his shotgun and Garrus took out his sniper rifle. A silent understanding immediately passed between the three of them: keep Cerberus off Garrus so he can take care of the ones furthest from them and the ones Shepard might miss. Atlases weren't exactly known for their accuracy.

It was also unspoken that they would keep their distance from Shepard's Atlas to avoid any injuries and to avoid getting in her way. The students were still on the second story and Jack was doing her best to keep a barrier around them. Cerberus was filing in from two doors on opposite sides of the large room. Jack yelled for her students to go across in pairs and it was up to the ground squad to keep Cerberus off of them. Garrus took up position behind one of the support beams and kept up a constant stream of sniper shots. James and Tristan took cover close to each other so they could watch each other's backs and stop Cerberus from surrounding Garrus.

Shepard was off causing chaos with her new favourite toy: rockets were fired at the doors where Cerberus was coming in from and automatic guns killed large groups of soldiers at a time. The one or two stragglers that were missed were usually killed by Tristan or James while Garrus killed any soldiers that had opened fire on Jack and her students. Tristan was suddenly glad that they had an Atlas on their side for a change. Judging from the amount of soldiers that were attacking, they wouldn't have lasted long without the Atlas. Cerberus Guardians started to come in through a door on the ground floor. Tristan started to use her biotics to pull their bulletproof shields away from them, allowing James and Garrus to kill them. The shields didn't provide much protection from Shepard's Atlas though.

As the fighting drew on, Cerberus brought in another Atlas. They probably hoped that they could kill Shepard and then get the students. Shepard's Atlas wasn't exactly in perfect condition, unlike Cerberus' one, and Tristan guessed it wouldn't be able to handle more than a few shots. Shepard must have come to the same conclusion.

"_Tristan, I need a barrier to stop the rockets,"_ she said over the radio.

Tristan killed another soldier and then placed her finger to her radio. "I'm on my way."

She then ran towards Shepard's Atlas and slid between its legs in a similar fashion as how they first saw Jack in action, immediately creating a barrier between Shepard and the Atlas. Once the rocket collided with the barrier, Tristan dropped it and rolled out of Shepard's way to allow her a clear line of sight. She sent a Warp at the Cerberus Atlas to buy Shepard some time to line up the shot and then she fired it. Tristan sent another Warp and Shepard followed it with another rocket. The Atlas exploded and James and Garrus had pretty much cleared out the room.

"Okay, we're clear," Jack yelled across the room. "Move your asses before backup arrives."

Shepard slid out of the Atlas and dropped to the floor. Cerberus backup had already arrived and the squad had to sprint towards the shuttles. Tristan immediately clambered inside the shuttle and headed towards the cockpit. She had experience with stealing shuttles to make a hasty getaway. True, she wasn't about to win any medals for her piloting skills but she would do better than Kahlee Sanders who currently occupied the co-pilot's seat. Tristan brought about the various screens and double checked everything to make sure they were ready to go. The engines were online and she was just about to take off when they found out that Rodriguez was missing.

"Hurry up, Shepard. We don't have much time," Tristan said over the radio and continued to hurriedly push buttons and move screens around so the shuttle would be ready the moment everyone was on board. She didn't fancy dying in a ball of fire.

Gunfire erupted and it was soon followed by the sound of glass shattering. A few more minutes and Jack, Shepard and Rodriguez were safely on the shuttle.

"Tristan, go!" Shepard ordered.

The shuttle hovered for a moment as the doors closed securely and then it shot out of the docking bay, into space.

"Joker, we're flying out on a Cerberus shuttle," Shepard said over her radio. "Watch your fire."

_::Right, I've got you on sensors. Should just be a minute.::_

Tristan then patched Joker into the shuttle's communication system. This way, he could talk with the squad and EDI could easily track the shuttle. Now that they were safely away from Cerberus, Kahlee left the co-pilot's chair and headed back to speak with Shepard. Tristan didn't have the pilot training or the background so she was concentrating on flying the shuttle. The _Normandy_ came into view and Tristan activated her radio.

"Cortez, this is Chase. I…need some help with docking a shuttle with the _Normandy_," she said and found it was somewhat hard to admit out loud.

_::I'd be happy to help, Agent Chase.::_

With help from Lieutenant Cortez and EDI, she was able to dock the shuttle with the _Normandy_. Typically, her piloting tended to end in spectacular crashes. At least this time was different. The students were unloaded and Shepard immediately ordered to Joker to head for the Citadel. It was the safest place to take the students and it would also be the easiest place for Admiral Hackett to send a transport to pick up Kahlee Sanders and the other students who were going to work on the Crucible. Tristan immediately left the shuttle, thanked Lieutenant Cortez for his help and then went directly to her quarters. This trip to the Citadel was going to be interesting and not in the way she enjoyed. She needed a clear head if she was going to deal with both Councillor Udina and Major Alenko.


	10. Proposals and Discussions

**Hello readers. I have another update relatively quickly. I had some spare time between procrastinating assignments and wrote this chapter. As always, I can't guarantee when the next update will be. In theory, I should have an update for **_**Ghost from the Past**_** relatively soon.**

**Thank you for all the favourites, alerts and reviews. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. I hope you enjoy the crew's downtime on the Citadel.**

**Chapter 10: Proposals and Discussions**

Tristan had just finished her shower and had changed into a simple white t-shirt and baggy sweatpants. In preparation for what was to come on the Citadel, she decided that a few hours of sleep would be just the thing to keep her from saying something that would offend either Alenko or Udina but her reluctance to speak her mind was for two different reasons. Udina was a powerful man and while Admiral Hackett did not take his advice as far as his people were concerned, Udina could still have some negative influence in her life, especially where Shepard was concerned. Shepard was a Spectre, after all, which meant she was required to do something for the councillors from time to time, Udina included. Unfortunately, Shepard was Tristan's weakness and men like Udina would be able to figure it out easily and find some way to use it against her.

Alenko was another matter entirely. Tristan knew she had been unfair to him while on Mars. In her defence, he had behaved unfairly towards Shepard on Horizon. It wasn't an ideal excuse and Tristan knew she had a big mouth, unless her life was in danger. While she didn't entirely like Alenko, she needed to be nice to him…or at least tolerable. Not for her sake or even for his but for Shepard. Tristan guessed that at some point in the near future, they would find some way to work through their problems. Nothing brought people together like almost certain doom. And when that happened, Shepard would expect Tristan and Alenko to get along. She had made her dislike for him clear on Mars but she needed to do this for Shepard and so she would.

She walked over to her bed and collapsed face first into the pillows. Normally, the bed didn't feel any better than the standard Marine-issue mattresses but now, it felt like heaven. There hadn't been many opportunities to sleep since the Reapers invaded Earth. There always seemed like there was something that needed doing: groundside missions with Shepard; going over Intel that had been collected by the Alliance and sent to her for analysis; carrying out the "people person" duties of the Executive by ensuring people were settled and had everything they needed; checking in with Admirals Hackett and Anderson; doing the little things to help Shepard and making sure the retrofits were still working. Tristan suddenly didn't envy Shepard.

On the rare occasion that she did manage to get some sleep, it never went well. As a side effect of the work she did, Tristan often felt restless or edgy if she went too long without fighting or shooting a gun. There were also occasionally nightmares that would keep her awake, usually involving bad things that had happened or tough decisions she had made while on a mission. Recurring cast members also included a few people she had killed, mostly the people that didn't feel right killing but she didn't question orders. Now the Reapers, cannibals, husks and Marauders were making guest appearances. While Tristan had the persona of a cold blooded killer, she didn't always agree with her choices. But when this happened, she usually took solace in the fact that her decisions would prevent good people from having to make these hard and sometimes cruel decisions – such as Shepard or Joker.

After a few minutes, she drifted off to sleep. Thankfully, there weren't any nightmares or any dreams at all. She woke up a few hours later and EDI informed her they were halfway to the Citadel. There were still a few hours to kill. While she would have liked to spend this time trying to figure out exactly why Udina or Alenko wanted to speak with her, it would only drive her crazy…well, crazier. It also wouldn't solve anything considering their emails had no details whatsoever. Tristan pushed herself off of her bed and changed into her casual clothes. She decided to leave her hair loose and then took her guns to her empty desk. After Grissom Academy, they could use some cleaning. Once they were spotless, she moved on to her hardsuit and closely examined her glove that she had used to smash the Atlas' glass. It was somewhat damaged. Perhaps it would be best to get it repaired while they were at the Citadel.

Tristan emerged from her quarters and made her way towards the weapon workbench. Lieutenant Cortez was nearby, working on the shuttle and James was maintaining the weapons in his work area. Shepard had picked up a few upgrades since leaving Earth and Tristan hadn't even spared them a glance. Now that she was bored, they were suddenly very interesting and would possibly give her an edge in combat. Or so the theory went. There were a few upgrades for shotguns and assault rifles which she ignored and concentrated on the sniper rifle upgrades. Even the most advanced sniper rifle always had room for improvement, especially where the weight and the thermal clips were concerned. She examined those particular upgrades, trying to decide if it was worth it to disassemble her sniper rifle to apply them. It was hard to decide if they would make a real difference or if it would damage her gun.

Eventually she decided to leave the upgrades, for now, and wait until Shepard found better ones. Shepard's voice suddenly came over the intercom.

_::We will be arriving at the Citadel shortly and we will be there for a few hours. The entire crew will have shore leave. Enjoy it while you can because, remember, we will be hosting the summit shortly thereafter. We don't know how it will go with the Krogan present or what will happen after so grab whatever you need while we're there. Shepard out.::_

That sounded vaguely ominous. Tristan returned to her quarters and grabbed her glove so it could be repaired and then put on her omni-tool, just in case she might need it or if someone needed to contact her for whatever reason. Once they arrived at the Citadel a short time later, she quickly headed towards one of the armour shops and dropped off her glove and then made her way to the Human Embassies. It was a lot busier compared to the last time they were here. Perhaps people were starting to realise that there really was a war going on and the Citadel couldn't escape it forever. She was allowed access into Councillor Udina's office although he wasn't in at the moment. The office was much larger and very well decorated when she compared it to her memories of the diplomats' offices before Saren attacked the Citadel three years ago. There was even a balcony that provided an impressive view of the Presidium.

Even though there were a few couches inside the office, Tristan decided to wait on the balcony. She casually leant against the railing and peered out into the Presidium with her arms folded in front of her chest. The office was far too cushy for her tastes. Sure, she could appreciate the finer things in life but only if she felt like she had earned it and not all the time, otherwise it was no longer a luxury or something to be appreciated. This was just too much, especially when her thoughts drifted to Earth and Palaven and what they were facing. Her annoyance resurfaced when she considered this and just in time for Udina to return to his office. He was surprised to see her and she casually looked over her shoulder at his approach.

"You did request to see me?" she asked.

"Yes. Of course, Agent Chase," Udina replied and indicated she should take the chair opposite his desk.

Tristan decided to do as she was asked to get out of his office with minimum fuss and obliged. "Is something wrong, Councillor?"

"No," he answered shortly. "These are dark days, Agent. The Reapers have invaded Earth and the Council is doing nothing."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. Did he call her here to give her an obvious update on current events? Was she supposed to respond?

"Humanity needs some hope," he continued and looked straight at her. "That's where you come in."

She frowned. "I don't understand."

"Your name was put on the list for possible candidates into the ranks of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Council just over a year ago," Udina continued and clasped his hands in front of him. "I now officially offer you the choice, Agent Chase."

Tristan's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "To become a Spectre?"

"Yes."

It was an amazing honour to be considered to become a Spectre and an even bigger honour to be asked to join their ranks. Yet, for some reason, Tristan didn't feel honoured and she couldn't shake the bad feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach. If someone else had offered her the job – such as Admiral Hackett or even one of the other councillors - she probably would have accepted after some thought. It just didn't feel right. Besides, Tristan didn't think she would make a good Spectre even though it was similar to her work as a Black Ops Agent. Working for the Alliance was different because there would be repercussions if she failed and she actually respected Admiral Hackett. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint him whereas she had little respect for the Council. There were people who were much better suited to be a Spectre than her.

"Would there be a ceremony?" Tristan asked to buy her some more time to think.

Udina smiled smugly and relaxed into his chair. "Of course."

This just made it worse. Tristan was not in her line of work for the fame and fortune although Udina seemed to think this was the reason behind her question as though the ceremony would play to her ego and guarantee a positive answer from her. This was even more confusing because he actually wanted her to accept the proposal, almost like he was doing her a favour. This just didn't add up. She took a deep breathe, hoping she wasn't making a huge mistake.

"With all due respect, Councillor Udina, I decline your offer," Tristan replied after a few long minutes.

Udina's smirk vanished and he leant forward in his chair. "Excuse me?"

"I decline your offer," she repeated evenly, getting a bit annoyed with his behaviour. She needed to word the next part carefully to play to his ego and maybe get away without making him an enemy. "I just don't think I would make a good Spectre, Councillor. It wasn't all that long ago that you told me I was more trouble than I'm worth. In this instance, I agree completely. If left unchecked…who knows the sort of trouble I could get into?"

Udina's surprise slowly shifted to anger and then settled on disappointment. "I suppose you have a point."

Tristan got to her feet and then held out her hand for a handshake which Udina slowly took. "I am honoured by your offer and thank you, Councillor Udina."

Udina nodded and then focused his attention on something on his desk. Tristan took this as her cue to leave and exited the office. As soon as she was in the corridor, her polite expression vanished immediately and she exhaled in annoyance. Strangely, it felt like she had done the right thing by turning down the offer. It just didn't make sense coming from Udina. He was an ambitious man who was always looking for a way to increase his power. Tristan didn't want power. She was happy where she was and with what she was doing, most of the time. There was no reason to change this. And the last thing she wanted was to feel as though she owed Udina something. All she wanted now was a drink but she still needed to speak with Alenko. Oh yeah, because she was in the perfect state of mind to make nice.

The trip to Huerta Memorial Hospital went relatively quickly and Tristan made her way towards the receptionist. The waiting area was also a bit crowded with doctors attempting to find more supplies or people waiting to see their loved ones. There was also a Drell sitting in one of the chairs overlooking the large windows. This caught Tristan's attention because she hadn't crossed paths with many Drell before. As she continued to walk, her eyes fell on a nearby kiosk. Perhaps she should buy Alenko a get well present? She decided against it and continued towards the receptionist.

"Can I help you with something?" the young woman asked pleasantly.

"I'm here to visit Major Kaidan Alenko. Could you point me towards his room?"

The woman nodded in answer and literally pointed to her right. "Just follow the corridor and go through the first door on your right."

"Thank you."

Tristan followed the directions she was given and stood outside the door when it opened. Sure enough, the directions had been accurate. Major Alenko had not yet noticed her arrival and was staring out the window. He was lying in bed and even from where she was standing, Tristan could tell his face was heavily bruised. His chest also had a few bruises though they didn't look serious. Tristan suddenly remembered that Kaidan was a biotic, like her, and he had received a pretty powerful knock to the head, courtesy of Dr Core. That had the potential to really screw up his biotics. She walked into his room and it must have caught Alenko's attention because he looked up in surprise.

"Major Alenko," Tristan greeted as she continued to walk towards the window and stared out of it, giving him time to compose himself.

"Agent Chase, thank you for coming," he replied.

She looked over at him, still not entirely sure why she was here. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks," he answered. "Shepard just stopped by."

Tristan had to smile. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

They shared the smile for a few moments before the amusement faded and they returned to an awkward silence. Perhaps he hadn't expected her to actually come or maybe he was finding it hard to actually voice what he wanted to say. Tristan returned her attention to the window.

"I wanted to apologise," Alenko abruptly said.

Tristan looked back at him in surprise. This was completely unexpected, especially considering she didn't hold him in the highest of opinions and if she wasn't such a stubborn person, she should have been the person to apologise.

"What for?" she asked in confusion.

"For what I said on Mars. I shouldn't have made assumptions about you or what you know about Cerberus," he answered and then he paused for a moment. "I also wanted to apologise for what happened on the _Normandy_ a few months back."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you recognised me. Regardless, as far as the _Normandy_ is concerned, I'm not the one you should apologise to."

Alenko frowned for a moment and then he looked annoyed. Before he could say anything else, Tristan cut him off. For once, she didn't want to start a fight.

"I suppose I should apologise too. My behaviour on Mars wasn't exactly…polite and I should try to act more professional. It's just I owe Shepard a lot and she's like a sister to me so things tend to get…blurred when she's involved," Tristan explained and she was quite surprised by how much she actually told him.

Alenko was silent for a moment. "I can understand that. So…truce?"

Tristan smiled and then looked at Alenko. "Truce." Her smile slowly faded. "Just…be careful around Shepard. I won't be so forgiving a second time."

"Fair enough," Alenko agreed, much to Tristan's surprise. Back on Mars, he had been adamant that there wouldn't be a second time for anything. "Just…we're good. Me and Shepard, I mean. We talked about it and I get now that she is no longer with Cerberus."

Tristan nodded her head to make sure she didn't say anything bad. "I should probably leave, let you rest."

"Thanks for stopping by," Alenko replied.

Tristan took her leave and decided she now needed a drink. The conversation with Udina had taken an unexpected turn and she was still convinced that this would come around to bite her in the ass somehow. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow but definitely at some point. Turning down an offer from a councillor – or any politician really – would have some or other repercussions. Her opinion of Major Alenko had also changed slightly. Not by much because she was stubborn but she had never expected him to apologise to her. It didn't matter to her how she had perceived Alenko before the _Normandy SR-1_ had been destroyed because her perception of him had been radically altered after Horizon. He would need to do a lot to get back into Tristan's good book and although she hated to admit it, he was making a good start.

The only decent place to get a drink on the Citadel was in Purgatory. It sure was a cheery name for a club during a war with the Reapers. It was very popular amongst the Alliance soldiers and even the Turian soldiers that came through the Citadel. It was also apparently run by Aria T'Loak. First Afterlife, now Purgatory…this Asari was a very depressing person. Tristan decided this would be the perfect place to take her mind off of Udina and Alenko so she immediately made her way there. Immediately upon arrival, she found that Aria's taste in music hadn't changed. There were a lot of soldiers spread throughout the club and on the second floor, Tristan could make out a bar and a dance floor. There was another bar to her left and she decided she was in no mood to watch people make fools of themselves so she headed left.

As she approached, she noticed a large group of Alliance soldiers nearby, enjoying the music and the drinks. She paid them little attention as she focused on the bartender.

"What can I get for you?" he asked her loudly, trying to be heard over the pounding music.

"A beer," she answered and was about to pay for it when a hand stopped her.

"Put it on our tab," an Alliance soldier told the bartender.

The bartender nodded and wordlessly passed Tristan the bottle of beer. She took it mechanically as she tried to figure out why exactly this soldier was buying her a beer. His face definitely was not familiar and he smiled at her before returning to the group that Tristan had noticed earlier.

"Hey, Slick."

Even though only one person used that nickname, Tristan was still surprised to see James standing at the bar, once again looking amused at her expense. She must have walked right past him. Perhaps that was the reason why he was so amused.

"They've been buying me drinks since I got here," he explained and nodded his head in the direction of the soldiers. "I told them that you're with me."

Tristan smiled and raised an eyebrow. "With you?"

"Yeah…I mean…you know," he tried to answer and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I meant we're part of the same crew."

"Uh huh," Tristan answered, now thoroughly amused.

She had yet to see James at a loss for words. He certainly wasn't shy about flirting with the Commander in front of other members of the crew and he always had something to say whether about the mission or just attempting to annoy Lieutenant Cortez. She took a sip of her beer to give James a chance to recover.

"So…why are they buying us drinks?" she asked.

James was obviously relieved by the change of topic and soon returned to his earlier good mood. "They know what we're doing out there."

Tristan silently drank some more beer and her gaze drifted over to the soldiers. It was unusual for a group of people to know what she was doing and stranger still that they were offering to buy her a drink. In her opinion, these soldiers definitely drew the short straw. It would only be a matter of time until they were forced to face down Cerberus or Reaper forces. Neither option provided much room for mercy or survival. Tristan was stationed on a stealth ship that was constantly on the move. It was the safer option. And yet, _they_ were buying _her_ a drink. Her gaze returned to James for a moment and then she leant across the bar, attracting the bartender's attention.

"Their next round is on me," she told the bartender and then indicated James. "His too."

James gave her a weird look.

"…unless you would prefer to pay for your own drink?" she offered with an amused smile.

"I'd never turn down a free beer," he answered with a smile of his own. "I just wasn't expecting it."

Tristan shrugged as she drank some more of her beer. "I figure I owe you one. I didn't exactly win our spar…fairly."

James chuckled. "Well, it wasn't a fair fight."

Tristan caught onto his teasing tone and decided against rising to the bait. "So…I have to ask: what's with you and the nicknames?"

"I just think some people's names don't suit them so I give them a new one," he answered.

"Estaban, Scars, Lola, Slick, Doc," she listed and then a thought occurred to her. "What's yours?"

James paused for a moment before answering. "I don't know. No one's ever asked me that before."

"You expect me to believe you don't have any idea of a nickname for yourself?" Tristan teased.

"I didn't say that," James answered with a mischievous smirk. "Handsome, Good Looking, Sexy. They all have potential but I can't decide which one would suit me the best."

For the first time in a long time, Tristan actually burst out laughing. James had no subtlety and he was trying to trick her into complimenting him. He had no shame and he was so not shy. At least he shared her amusement and he had not been totally serious about any of his suggestions.

"That was real smooth, Vega," she told him.

They continued to talk and joke around for a while, mostly trying to decide on a good nickname for James. Most of the suggestions were ridiculous though they were worth a good laugh from them both. The soldiers bought them another round until, much to Tristan's surprise, Shepard turned up. The group of soldiers went a bit quiet at her arrival and she wasn't the only one who noticed.

"James, Tristan," Shepard greeted with a quick glance towards the soldiers.

"Hey, Commander," James greeted brightly.

"Shepard," Tristan returned the greeting and then noticed that she had a message on her omni-tool.

While Shepard and James talked, Tristan brought up the message.

_Agent Chase_

_I have some important data that could be relevant to your mission. Meet me on the Presidium._

_Agent Wilcox_

Odd. Tristan always had the feeling that Wilcox hated her guts. It wasn't without reason, of course. The last mission they had gone on together had been quite a few years ago and their mission objectives were to eliminate some key personnel in a large group of pirates that were continually raiding Alliance colonies. Tristan took a calculated risk and disobeyed Wilcox's orders – the agent in charge of the mission and her superior at the time – and although all the targets had been eliminated, Wilcox had been shot due to Tristan's actions. It wasn't a serious injury and if she hadn't taken the risk, one of the targets would have escaped. Wilcox had never forgiven her for it.

Tristan finished her beer and then said goodbye to James and Shepard. Wilcox would not have sent the message if it wasn't important or urgent. It didn't take long for her to travel to the Presidium and she found Agent Wilcox sitting at one of the tables on the balcony of Apollo's Café. Wilcox was a few years older than Tristan with a lot of experience dealing with tense situations. She was a tall, thin woman with dark brown hair that was pulled into a tight bun. Her grey eyes watched everyone that passed intently and she was still wearing her heavy armour. It was uncharacteristic for a Black Ops agent to wear heavy armour but Wilcox's training had originally been as a soldier before she was recruited.

Tristan approached and immediately took the chair opposite Wilcox, aware that Liara was just two tables away and working furiously on her omni-tool. Wilcox focused her steely gaze on Tristan for a moment and her expression was of obvious annoyance. Tristan couldn't tell if this was directed at her or if Wilcox was just annoyed in general. This woman rarely smiled or relaxed.

"Doesn't this frustrate you?" Wilcox abruptly asked.

Tristan raised both eyebrows. "What?"

"This!" Wilcox repeated and gestured vaguely around her.

It took Tristan a moment to realise she was talking about the Citadel and its serene surroundings, completely untouched by the war that no one wanted to believe was happening. Wilcox had never visited the Citadel before, as far as Tristan knew, and she preferred going to Earth or Arcturus Station for her orders and debriefing. Black Ops agents always knew the risks of the work they were doing and were often faced with the dirty sides of war and diplomacy. In some cases, they saw far darker sides than the soldiers even knew existed. Since the Reapers invaded, the Alliance had dispatched most – if not all – of their Black Ops agents on various worlds to gather intel and conduct surveillance on the Reapers, Cerberus, enemies and allies to try to understand what was happening and possibly pre-empt any moves they would make.

Tristan shrugged in answer. "Impending galactic doom at the hands of giant synthetics that look like some sort of bug that no one actually wants to admit exists? Of course it's frustrating but you know how politicians are: they're always right until they're wrong which they would never admit."

Wilcox thought about this for a moment. "I suppose you have a point. Still, I just want to scream at these people."

"I know the feeling," Tristan agreed as she tried to figure out why Wilcox had not yet threatened to shoot her.

Wilcox sighed and then slid a datapad across the table. "I came across this data and I think it will be useful to you."

Tristan raised an eyebrow and slowly took the datapad, vaguely wondering if it was somehow rigged to explode. "Oh?"

"It's from Cerberus," Wilcox explained. "I found it a few weeks back and due to radio silence, I couldn't send it to you. Given your…history with the organisation and your…ability to decode and piece together intel, I figured you would get more use out of it than I could. Especially considering you are now under Commander Shepard's command. She used to work for Cerberus and maybe she picked up some insight into what they could be planning."

"What makes you think this is relevant to Shepard's mission?" Tristan asked as she scanned through the information quickly.

"It was heavily guarded and I had to kill quite a few soldiers to get to the terminal," she answered. "Shepard is at war with Cerberus. The entire Black Ops division knows this so we'll try to help in any way that we can. It's easier now that the brass can't hide behind Shepard's supposed craziness now that the Reapers actually are invading. Anything that could give the Alliance an upper hand in the fight against Cerberus or the Reapers is worth investigating and Shepard is in the perfect position to do so."

It was a reasonable explanation though Tristan was still confused by something. "Why are you helping me? You threatened to shoot me when I tried to apologise."

Wilcox shrugged. "It took me a while but I realised you had done the right thing. Black Ops is about making the hard decisions and our COs are always reminding us that the mission objectives should come first. It's different to being a soldier. Don't get me wrong – you still aren't my favourite person."

"I never expected to be," Tristan answered with a smile. "Thank you for this."

Wilcox actually smiled. "You're welcome, Chase. I just hope something useful comes of it." She got to her feet and started to leave but she stopped just as she passed Tristan. "Oh…Chase?" Tristan turned in the chair to face her. "May the darkness protect you…"

"…and the light shine your way," Tristan finished.

Wilcox continued on her way and soon disappeared among the other patrons of Apollo's Café. Tristan stood up and headed over to Liara's table, seating herself in an empty chair. Liara was not surprised to see her and Tristan guessed she had been eavesdropping on the conversation. At any other time, Tristan would be offended but this was the Shadow Broker.

"What does it mean?" Liara asked as soon as Tristan sat down.

"What?" Tristan asked in confusion.

"Your parting words."

"Oh. It's just something we say to each other, like soldiers tend to do. Most of our work is done…behind the scenes and if we are ever seen, things could go horribly wrong. Not just for us but for the Alliance as a whole," Tristan explained.

"That explains the darkness part," Liara said. "What about the second part?"

Tristan smiled at Liara's curiosity. "We do our jobs to help the Alliance and the soldiers. It's not always easy and so the second part is just a reminder of why we do what we do to prevent us from losing our way. To keep us from falling to the dark side."

Apparently her curiosity was satisfied because she changed the topic. "What did Agent Wilcox give you?"

"Cerberus data," Tristan answered and turned her attention to the datapad. "I don't know what it's about but it could prove useful. There was a mention of Eden Prime somewhere. I don't know the context though. It's a puzzle for on-board the _Normandy_."

"I'd be happy to help," Liara offered. "You did help a lot with the Prothean Device and I would like to return the favour."

Tristan smiled. "I appreciate the offer, Liara. If I need help, I'll come to you."

The Asari returned the smile even though they both knew it wouldn't happen. Liara had far too much to deal with at the moment between her work on the Prothean Device and her duties as Shadow Broker. Tristan was also a bit possessive of things where Cerberus was concerned. She planned on killing every last soldier because of what they had done and the pain they had added to Tristan's life. She had a score to settle and she planned on doing it alone.

They descended into silence as they attempted to enjoy the serenity. While it was disconcerting at first, Tristan now realised that having somewhere that was peaceful was important. Constantly being at war or fighting would likely lead to a burnout. A few moments in a peaceful surrounding wouldn't hurt, as long as they didn't forget what they were doing. They were fighting to preserve this peace, after all.

As Tristan took in the sights of the Presidium, she noticed a rather strange sight down the stairs.

"Is…is that EDI?" she asked as she found the AI curiously inspecting one of the nearby kiosks.

Liara followed her line of sight and smiled. "Yes. Joker thought she could also use a bit of shore leave."

Tristan scoffed. "You'd think with a galaxy wide invasion, Citadel Security would be able to pick up an unshackled AI."

"Joker managed to smuggle her in. Apparently, EDI is his medical assistance mech?" Liara replied with a bit of confusion.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "He's more resourceful than I give him credit for. And you do know there's an Asari watching you closely?"

Liara gave Tristan an annoyed look. "Of course. Shepard also pointed her out. I _do_ know what I'm doing. She was sent by the other matriarchs to keep an eye on me…and she's my father."

Tristan glanced at Liara sideways. Asari were _so_ weird. "I'm not doubting your abilities, Liara. We're all pretty strained though. It's only natural to miss something here and there. Shepard and I are just looking out for you."

"You are right," Liara admitted and let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Liara. I'm quite used to people finding me annoying," Tristan replied with a smile.

"You're in a good mood," Liara remarked. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Lieutenant Vega?"

Tristan was caught off guard by the question and hesitated for a brief moment before trying to play it cool. "Not at all. Why do you ask?"

Liara gave her a knowing smile. "I _was_ the first person to realise something was going on between Shepard and Kaidan on the original _Normandy_," she reminded.

Tristan thought it sounded more like a warning than a reminder. "Speaking of the _Normandy_, I should probably get back and start working on this data."

Liara continued to smile knowingly as Tristan awkwardly got to her feet and left Apollo's Café. If she wasn't still within Liara's line of sight, she would have face palmed.

_Real smooth, Tristan. Real smooth_ she thought to herself and mentally shook her head.

**I wanted to include this note to explain why I decided to have Udina offer Tristan the position of Spectre even though he had already offered it to Kaidan (for those of you who didn't realise, Udina was visiting Kaidan when Tristan first arrived at his office). The way I figure it, Udina didn't offer Kaidan/Ashley the role of Spectre out of the goodness of his heart. He's a slimy and ambitious character so my thoughts on the matter are Udina made the offer (without the other Councillors input) so that he would have someone who owes him a favour or would feel obliged to take his word and orders over those of another – namely Shepard during the coup.**

**Only he underestimated the loyalty that Kaidan/Ashley has towards Shepard even despite her confirmed history with Cerberus. Therefore, Udina would likely try to get as many options as possible by offering the role to a few other well-chosen people (basically those with a grudge against Cerberus). I hope this makes sense. I'm not trying to make Tristan into a Mary-Sue. I just wanted to explain to avoid confusion. There will be more information about this when we get to the coup.**


	11. Diplomacy

**Hello readers. I yet again apologise for the delay. I forgot about exams and I'll be working hard because I have my driver's test coming up so I have no idea when I'll be able to update next. Thank you for your patience and understanding.**

**On a similar note, a review mentioned that Purgatory is Council owned and run and not by Aria. I did a bit of research and I could not find any mention of this. I just assumed it was owned by Aria because of the name (it being similar to Afterlife) and also because Avina had no record of it. Even if it is Council owned, I imagine Aria would run it anyway, given her obvious relationship with the Asari councillor. If it is Council owned, I apologise for the misinformation but rather take it as Aria running the club.**

**Chapter 11: Diplomacy**

Tristan returned to the _Normandy_ and immediately made her way to her quarters. The trip to the Citadel had been…enlightening. The brief stop at Purgatory had helped to distract her thoughts from Udina's offer however now that she was alone, it still bugged her. The offer was so out of character for Udina. Tristan knew that she wasn't the best candidate for the job either and there was a long list of people she knew would be better suited for the job. Agent Wilcox, for example, would make a much better Spectre. Major Alenko too. So why would he make the offer to an unpredictable Black Ops agent that didn't enjoy following orders?

She would be the first person to admit that she was a loose cannon and an offer like this wouldn't be made unless Udina was confident he could control her. Admiral Hackett had learnt how to control her, mostly by mastering the I-disapprove look which made Tristan feel guilty or he worded his orders in such a way that it was impossible to find loopholes or he would imply certain courses of action that would be acceptable. The idea that Udina might have a way to control her sent a shiver up her spine. Perhaps Shepard would want to hear about this? Tristan considered it for a moment and then decided against it. Shepard had enough on her plate without trying to figure out what Udina was up to.

Tristan sat down at her computer terminal and uploaded the data from the datapad. The transfer took a few minutes which meant it was probably a lot. Tristan glanced at the time on her omni-tool. There was still about an hour or so left of shore leave. This meant that the repairs to her glove were most likely nearly done. The terminal beeped softly to indicate that the transfer of data was now complete and she placed the datapad in the top drawer of the desk. Tristan brought the data up and was not surprised to discover that it was heavily encrypted.

The only reason why she had been able to pick out Eden Prime at a brief glance was because she was familiar with a few of Cerberus' encryption methods and a few words stood out. There was nothing that made it easy to figure out what it was about, naturally. Agent Wilcox had mentioned there was tight security surrounding the terminal where it had been previously stored so it was reasonable to expect that the data itself would be hard to read. The Illusive Man sure liked his security protocols. Tristan brought up one of her decryption programs. It calculated that it would take a few hours to finish the decryption. She sighed in annoyance. It was too long for her patience or her curiosity.

"EDI?" Tristan called.

Even though EDI's body was technically on the Citadel, she was still present on the _Normandy_ too. Tristan had no idea how it actually worked but the AI had assured the crew that while she occupied the body, her functioning on _Normandy_ would not be affected. It was still a weird concept to wrap her head around but Tristan was slowly getting used to seeing EDI walking around in Dr Core's body.

_::Yes, Agent Chase?::_

"Please make sure no one other than myself enters my quarters until further notice," Tristan ordered. "I have sensitive data on my terminal which I don't want anyone accessing."

_::Shall I inform Commander Shepard?::_

"No," she decided. "Until I know what the data is about, it's better to keep it secret for the time being."

_::Understood, Agent Chase.::_

"Thank you."

Tristan returned to the Presidium and made her way towards the kiosk that was handling the repairs of her glove. The repairs had been done so well that the glove looked like new. It was pretty impressive. Tristan paid and then decided to do some last minute shopping. Decrypting the data was always the easy part. Trying to make sense of the data afterwards would take a lot of time which meant one thing: junk food! It made the puzzle that much less annoying and Tristan knew she would be cooped up in her quarters for a while so stocking up on junk food now made sense while there was still some time left of shore leave. Besides, there wasn't much choice in terms of food on the _Normandy_. Luckily, there was a small shop on the Presidium that sold such things and she returned to the _Normandy_ with a large supply in no time. She also wasn't surprised to learn that she was one of the first people to return.

She decided to kill some time by reorganising her quarters and taking stock of what she had even though she already had a list committed to memory. It was a good way of making sure no one had rummaged through her quarters and it killed some time. While exploring under her bed, Tristan stumbled on a large box and she curiously pulled it out. A quick glance told her that this was a box of Shepard's belongings from before the retrofits: a handful of model ships, a strange orb that seemed to levitate and Shepard's old dog-tags and N7 breather helmet. These last two items had been severely damaged when the last _Normandy_ had been destroyed. Tristan suddenly remembered that when she had signed on as Admiral Anderson's Executive Officer, he had given her Shepard's personal belongings to give back. Tristan couldn't believe she had forgotten about this.

The _Normandy_ had just left the Citadel which meant the entire crew would be aboard so Tristan picked up the box and headed up to Shepard's quarters. Shepard opened the door and was quite surprised to see Tristan but she quickly invited her in. The jellyfish that Tristan bought their first trip to the Citadel were still alive which was always a good sign and it meant the aquarium VI had not been a waste of money. Tristan headed straight for Shepard's bed and deposited the box on it without a word. Shepard frowned in confusion as she walked over and peered into the box curiously. Her frown was quickly replaced with a look of surprise.

"Where did you get this stuff?" she asked as she picked up one of the model ships.

"Anderson gave it to me for safekeeping when he took over the _Normandy_. I was supposed to give it back when you were reinstated but I may have…forgotten," Tristan explained with a sheepish smile.

Shepard gasped in mock surprise. "Since when do you forget things?"

"It has been known to happen," Tristan replied and resisted the urge to stick out her tongue. "Nearly certain doom has that effect on people."

Shepard smiled as she pulled out her old N7 helmet and stared at it for a few moments. Tristan wanted to ask why she even kept it. It was a reminder of her death, after all. Tristan chose to keep the question to herself just in case she unintentionally upset her. Shepard placed the helmet on her desk and moved her dog-tags to the table next to her bed. Then she took the strange orb and placed it on the table in front of the couches. Finally, she placed the box that now contained only the model ships on her desk upstairs. Tristan glanced towards the helmet again and noted the amount of damage it had sustained.

"It's a reminder," Shepard told her. She must have noticed Tristan's confusion.

"Of what?" Tristan asked. A reminder of her death was just too obvious and too dark for Shepard.

Shepard shrugged and approached. "That I'm human and that I'm not invincible. No one is."

Tristan gave her a sideways look. That attitude was far too healthy. "I get reminded of that every time I get shot but I don't keep the bullets."

"It also reminds me of a lot of good memories too," Shepard replied.

Tristan was not entirely sure she understood but she decided to move the conversation along. "Are you ready for the summit?"

Shepard shook her head. "I don't think anyone could be ready to host anything between the Turians, Salarians and Krogan."

Tristan smiled. "What about the Asari? They should be able to keep things from exploding."

"They don't think an alliance can be formed so they're not coming," she answered and sighed in annoyance. "They don't even see the point of trying."

"Odd," Tristan mused. "Asari are regarded as the wisest race in the galaxy. Way to prove everyone wrong. Staying on the side-lines now is perhaps the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

Shepard didn't reply immediately. "When the summit gets started, I want you around. Technically, you won't be allowed in the actual summit but I want you outside, just in case."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Just in case of what?"

"Use your imagination, Tris," Shepard answered. "The Turians, Salarians and Krogan in one room…what could possibly go wrong?"

"The way I see it, you only need to keep an eye on the Dalatrass. Salarians are sneaky buggers and they like to play dirty. Besides, Victus suggested this alliance which ought to gain some favour with the Krogan so he'll be prepared to argue in favour of the alliance. And Wrex is your old crewmate so it stands to reason that he'll probably listen to you."

Shepard gave her a strange look. "For someone who hates politics, you sure have a good grasp of the situation."

Tristan shrugged in response. "I hate politics _because_ I understand the game. But don't worry, I'll hang around if you think it's necessary. Just be careful though. Word is, the Dalatrass is stubborn and still has a strong dislike for the Krogan. She won't be easily swayed, even if she is outnumbered or presented a logical argument."

"Thanks for the heads up," Shepard replied. "By the way, where'd you disappear off to when we were in Purgatory?"

"A colleague requested a meet," Tristan answered simply. "She passed along some information but I'm still investigating. I'll let you know if it's useful."

"Other Black Ops agents are helping me?" Shepard asked in surprise.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Of course, Nadine. Unlike the majority of people, we understand that on occasion, it is necessary to work with our enemies to achieve a goal. People also tend to forget that the Turians were once our enemies too and look how that turned out. Besides, what we're doing, we could use all the help we can get."

"Fair enough," Shepard allowed slowly. "I just find it…odd."

"It's not like you're going to get any personal calls from them or anything," Tristan pointed out. "Whatever information they find has to go through Hackett before it'll be passed on to either you or me, assuming it has relevance to what we're doing."

Shepard's look of dawning comprehension was quite amusing and Tristan realised the Commander wasn't all that familiar with how Black Ops operated. Tristan wanted to ask just how exactly she had expected Admiral Hackett or any of her Commanding Officers to know a lot of information about things that they technically shouldn't know, as far as some missions were concerned. Tristan had to shake her head at Shepard. For a smart person, she didn't really think some things through.

"So…all Black Ops agents are off doing…black ops-y stuff and you're stuck here with me?" Shepard asked slowly.

"Pretty much," Tristan answered and folded her arms in front of her chest. "Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind being involved in some of those missions considering they are more exciting that summits but being on the _Normandy_…isn't quite how I imagined it. In a good way, of course."

Shepard's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Are you ready to settle down?"

Tristan chuckled. "Woah…I wouldn't go _that_ far. But, I have to admit, staying on with one crew for longer than a mission does have its advantages. And it is nice to get settled into my quarters. It makes a nice change."

Shepard gave her a knowing smirk. "I bet."

Tristan rolled her eyes. Why was everyone so interested in her friendship with James? "Nads, I mean this in the best possible way: don't try to be subtle. You're really bad at it."

Shepard frowned as she tried to figure out where she had gone wrong and Tristan took this moment to retreat back into the elevator and return to her quarters. It was doubtful that much information had been decrypted by now but Tristan preferred to hang around her terminal, just in case something went wrong or the program encountered a problem.

* * *

><p>It had been a few hours since the <em>Normandy<em> had left the Citadel. They were heading to the Annos Basin in order to meet with the diplomats and Tristan was completely bored out of her mind. Apparently, the decryption program had been…optimistic in its time estimation. It wasn't as complete as it should have been. In the meantime, Tristan had put this time to good use. She'd had another, quicker check-up with Dr Chakwas; she'd fulfilled her duties as Executive by chatting with a few crew members and making sure the retrofits were still working; James had challenged her to a rematch which he won; every piece of armour and every gun she owned couldn't possibly get any cleaner; she'd reorganised her quarters and done a sweep for bugs, just in case. She was also halfway through her junk food supply. And the decryption still wasn't finished.

Tristan was doing a Sudoku puzzle on her omni-tool to pass the time and she was concentrating so much that she nearly fell out of her chair when EDI's voice filled her quarters.

_::We are approaching the diplomatic ships. Shepard has requested your presence on the bridge.::_

"Thank you, EDI," Tristan replied, hoping the AI hadn't noticed how much of a fright she had gotten.

By the time she arrived in the cockpit, Shepard was already there and standing behind Joker's chair. It didn't take long to realise that they were both annoyed about something. Tristan looked out the large window and noticed the ships. Based on their design, it was easy to see which ship belonged to the Krogan and the Salarians. They were also hovering just out of weapon range. Tristan shook her head in frustration.

"I'm assuming they haven't agreed upon which ship is going to host this summit?" she ventured.

Shepard sighed. "You would be correct. EDI, send a message and let them know the _Normandy_ is prepared to act as neutral ground, if need be."

There was a moment's pause as EDI relayed the message and received their replies.

_::The diplomats have agreed and are preparing to board.::_

Shepard nodded. "Tristan, get Victus and escort him to the conference room. Then I want you to escort the other dignitaries once they arrive and hope this doesn't start another war."

"Aye, aye, Commander," Tristan replied as Shepard left and she shot an amused Joker a very unimpressed look.

Had Tristan known that escorting potentially violent diplomats was part of the job description, she probably wouldn't have accepted her role as Executive. Joker looked like he had gotten the better side of this deal because he didn't actually do much work. Or, if he did, Tristan never saw him working. She also had a nagging suspicion that he somehow conned EDI into doing most of his work for him.

Tristan did as she was ordered and escorted the dignitaries although she had no idea where Shepard had disappeared off to. The conference room suddenly felt tiny when it was filled with the Salarian Dalatrass, Primarch Victus and Urdnot Wrex. It hadn't taken much time for an argument to break out and Tristan took it upon herself to remain inside the conference room just in case this argument turned physical. She was prepared to throw up a Barrier if the need arose but she doubted it would last long against the full force of an angry Krogan. Just as Wrex seemed to be reaching his breaking point, Shepard arrived on the scene in her dress blues. She nodded at Tristan before getting herself involved in the disagreement.

Tristan left the conference room and found a spot nearby so she could keep an eye on the proceedings without looking like she was eavesdropping. A few crates in the corner that were leftover from the retrofits made a comfortable perch. From what she could see, the Dalatrass was definitely outnumbered as Shepard, Wrex and Victus directed most of their anger at her. This was hardly surprising because the Dalatrass would fight against an alliance with the Krogan while the others were fighting for it. It looked like Shepard had the situation under control so Tristan allowed her attention to wander to pass the time.

After a few moments, she looked back to the conference room and noticed that Wrex had changed his stance. He wasn't on the defensive any longer and the Dalatrass appeared nervous. This piqued Tristan's curiosity and she watched the meeting with renewed interest. Things were becoming interesting, especially if Wrex believed he had the upper hand against the Salarians. Whatever Wrex had suggested upset the Dalatrass and Tristan figured it could end in one of two ways: violently or with a reluctant agreement. With this in mind, she got to her feet and leant against the wall, closer to the conference room, just in case.

Apparently, Victus and Shepard were able to keep the discussion civil. Tristan was starting to get bored and her attention started to wander again when Wrex changed his position so he was standing beside Victus. The reason why wasn't clear and Tristan tensed but as it turned out, Wrex just wanted to play some footage. It started to play behind him and Tristan could make out very little detail. There were ruins, a Salarian and some fuzzy dark shapes. What did any of this have to do with politics? Judging from the Dalatrass' edgy movements, Wrex was not supposed to have this information. The discussion that followed was an angry one with all of the anger directed at the Salarian. The Salarian then shook her head in defeat and revealed something that excited everyone in the room.

Shepard exited the conference room and went straight to the bridge without even glancing at Tristan. Victus and Wrex followed only they made their way to the War Room. She received a stiff nod in greeting from Victus and Wrex ignored her completely. The Dalatrass came out last and marched towards the airlock, muttering about insolence and bullies and something about Shepard making a huge mistake. Tristan remained where she was standing, trying to decide what it was she should be doing right about now. Wrex and Victus obviously found the War Room just fine and it was unlikely that they were going to start a fight while the Dalatrass didn't plan on sticking around. Tristan decided to head towards the cockpit and find out what was happening.

Shepard was standing behind Joker and looked up at her approach. She was still annoyed although some of the tension had eased.

"You know, I could always have the Dalatrass assassinated and install a new one that is sympathetic to the Alliance," Tristan remarked.

Shepard snorted in amusement. "It's times like this that I don't know if I should take you seriously or not."

Tristan shrugged innocently and offered no clue as to whether she meant what she said or not. "What's the plan now?"

"If the Krogan are going to join our alliance and help the Turians, Wrex has demanded a cure for the genophage," Shepard answered.

"That explains why the Dalatrass was muttering about insolence and you making a huge mistake," Tristan realised.

Shepard ignored her. "Apparently, Wrex had some information that the Salarians are holding female Krogan that are immune to the genophage so we're going to Sur'Kesh."

"Ignoring the fact that I always thought female Krogan were a myth, the STG won't exactly be a welcoming bunch."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Who said anything about the STG?"

"Come now," Tristan chided playfully. "I'm hardly an amateur. Wrex's information is obviously classified and no one else knows about the female Krogan which could only mean…"

"STG," Joker finished helpfully.

"Exactly," Tristan said with a smile and nodded at Joker.

Shepard rolled her eyes. "You may have a point. And Wrex definitely won't like taking a backseat. He'll want to be involved."

"I don't blame him," Tristan said. "If the STG were holding Alliance soldiers, you probably would have blown the entire planet to smithereens by now."

Shepard glared at Tristan. "I would not."

Joker snickered and Tristan smirked. "Nads, you're not exactly…the stealthiest."

"She has a point, Commander," Joker agreed with a smirk of his own.

Shepard was about to argue in her own defence but faltered after a moment and sighed in defeat. "As soon as the Salarian ship is at distance, head for Sur'Kesh."

"Aye, aye Commander," Joker replied.

Shepard made her way to the elevator and as soon as her back was turned, Tristan and Joker high-fived.

* * *

><p>Tristan was sitting in the co-pilot's chair of the shuttle, beside Lieutenant Cortez. Shepard was in the back with Wrex, Garrus and Liara as the Salarian Special Tasks Group base on Sur'Kesh drew ever closer. Tristan already knew they needed to tread carefully or else risk a political outrage at a crucial stage in the Reaper invasion. The Alliance could not afford to lose allies and the Salarians would prove useful in the construction of the Crucible. She could hear Shepard giving Wrex instructions on what not to do and he was quite grateful to have Liara and Garrus along for the ride. Tristan just hoped this wasn't an exciting ride. Politics plus exciting did not equal fun.<p>

One of the screens lit up and Tristan used her hand to reposition it in front of her. Lieutenant Cortez didn't seem to mind that she was kind of taking over where the information screens were concerned, probably because she never told him how to pilot or pretended to know what the screens relating to the shuttle and its various systems meant. The screen in front of her was flashing and she brought up the information. The shuttle's radar had managed to pick up the base.

"The base is on the sensors," Tristan said loud enough for Shepard to hear.

"Set her down," Shepard ordered.

"You heard the Commander, Estaban," Tristan remarked as she moved the screens around to make sure they weren't being targeted by weapons.

Lieutenant Cortez smiled. "You have been spending far too much time with Mr Vega."

Tristan was confused and then she realised what she had done and she also smiled. "I suppose you have a point."

The base grew closer as the shuttle sped along towards it. Lieutenant Cortez manoeuvred the shuttle above a landing pad and was about to begin the landing process when one of the screens flashed red. Tristan moved it and brought up the information only to be greeted by a Salarian insisting that they did not have permission to land. She started to argue with the Salarian while Cortez informed Shepard. Tristan was not entirely sure of what happened next. One moment, she was arguing with the Salarian ground control and telling them that the Dalatrass had authorised their landing with Shepard standing behind them. The next, Wrex jumped out of the shuttle and Shepard was ordering Tristan to follow her.

By the time Tristan caught up to Shepard, they had received permission to land and were being escorted by a group of Salarians. The Salarian who had obvious authority introduced himself as Padok Wiks. Wrex in particular was surrounded by three Salarians and that group was hanging back by the shuttle. Tristan wasn't entirely sure that leaving the Krogan alone with these Salarians was a good idea but there was nothing she could do about it now. It was currently a political situation – and a tense one at that – so weapons or biotics would not help matters. She had to trust that Shepard knew what she was doing.

While Shepard continued to talk with Wiks, the Salarian scientists down below continued on with their business which apparently involved a large containment cell with an alien that Tristan had never seen before in her entire life. It was huge with muscular arms, a lot of eyes, horns and a large belly that would have appeared comical if it was not so terrifying. Liara and Garrus had also noticed the strange creature.

"What the hell is that thing?" Tristan asked, not actually expecting an answer.

"A yahg," Liara answered quietly and her skin looked pale.

Tristan glanced at the Asari sideways and wanted to ask just how she knew what it was because Tristan was pretty sure she just made that word up on the spot.

"I'd hoped to never see one of those again," Liara added and looked to Garrus.

_Again_? Tristan raised an eyebrow but Wiks and Shepard continued their discussion before she could ask. The other Salarians escorted Wrex past them and down some stairs that led into a section of the laboratory.

"This whole planet smells wrong," Wrex commented irritably, much to his guards' annoyance.

Tristan smirked. This Krogan was probably going to cause a diplomatic incident but Tristan was starting to like him. He was direct and to the point yet he also knew when to listen to Shepard's orders. The Krogan also brought a different energy to the mission, an element of unpredictability. Shepard might have an idea of the sort of stunts he might pull from the time they spent hunting down Saren although it had been a few years since they last worked together and they had both changed a lot. Perhaps the presence of Liara and Garrus would add a bit of stability. Wiks agreed to let Shepard see the Krogan females and to sort out clearance for her. While they waited, they made their way over to Wrex. His guards didn't let him too far into the laboratory and were quite determined not to let him out of their sight. Wrex was quite determined to get on their nerves.

"This is where all you Salarians come from, huh? No wonder you're so soft. Too busy writing poetry about waterfalls," Wrex remarked.

Tristan smiled and her amusement only increased when she noticed that Shepard was fighting to keep a straight face. The Commander was trying not to encourage this sort of behaviour and to keep up appearances of being a neutral party.

"Shepard, I don't like this. I should be the one going in," Wrex argued when they approached.

Shepard's stern expression softened. "I understand, Wrex but how about you stay here and we only fight one war at a time?"

Something in this statement amused Wrex. "That was just good old fashioned Krogan hot air. If it had been real, they'd be dead."

While Shepard, Wrex, Liara and Garrus continued to converse – occasionally annoying Wrex's guards – Tristan focused her attention on the Salarians in the laboratory. They were behaving very calmly and were going about their business as if it was a normal day. This annoyed Tristan because they didn't look like they were concerned with the Reaper invasion. It was one of the reasons why she hated to work with most Salarians: they acted as though everything was below them. Like the Asari, they had a superiority complex but for different reasons. The Asari believed themselves to be superior because they're the oldest race in the galaxy and the most advanced. The Salarians were just arrogant because they believed their intelligence made them much better than everyone. Or so Tristan felt. It was also impossible to tell how a Salarian really felt. They rarely told anyone anything straight and Tristan got the impression that they were always plotting something. Slimy bastards.

"Tristan, you're staying here with Wrex while we go get the females," Shepard ordered.

Tristan looked at Shepard in surprise and then glanced at Wrex. "You want me to babysit a Krogan?"

Shepard rolled her eyes. "No. I want you to make sure that the Salarians don't try anything with Wrex and that Wrex doesn't try to kill any Salarians."

Wrex chuckled and the Salarians gave them all annoyed looks.

"That sounds a lot like babysitting," Tristan pointed out and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Shepard smirked. "So it does. Both of you are to stay out of trouble. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," she answered even though she didn't like it.

Shepard nodded in approval and led Garrus and Liara over to Wiks to see if they had their clearance yet. Tristan glanced at the pair of Salarians tasked with guarding Wrex. While they were both annoyed – most likely with Wrex's comments and their assigned task – one kept his attention fixed on Wrex and the other watched Tristan carefully. She didn't know if she should take this as a compliment or an insult. It wouldn't be surprising if they knew exactly who she was and what she was trained to do. There was little else to do so she walked over to the crate in front of Wrex and sat on it. It was probably going to be a long wait.

"You know, I've heard a lot about you from Shepard," Tristan remarked, watching the Salarians continue to mill about.

"I bet she told you all about my smouldering good looks," Wrex replied with a smirk.

Tristan returned his smirk. "Obviously that goes without saying."

Wrex chuckled. Anything else that Tristan was about to say was cut off by a strange sound. At first, she wasn't entirely sure of what it could be so she carefully slid off the crate, listening intently even as Wrex and the Salarians watched her in confusion. It was a strange, high pitched sound that seemed very distant and very loud at the same time. Tristan suddenly realised what it was and threw up a barrier around herself, Wrex and the two Salarians around them. There wasn't any time to shout out a warning because a huge bomb suddenly landed in the base and exploded. Tristan's Barrier absorbed most of the damage so Wrex and their guards were unharmed but there was still enough force to knock her off her feet. Her back collided with the solid wall behind her and she collapsed to the ground, her vision blurry and the ground swimming in front of her.

At first, all she could make out was various shapes moving about in chaos. Smoke and ash assaulted her nose. It was all strangely silent. There was a loud pop and sound suddenly returned to the world. There were shouts and cries coming from all directions, echoing in the base. Gunfire coming from various weapons sounded all around. Slowly, as Tristan's vision cleared, a headache slowly made its presence known and her back was really sore. Her eyes flicked up and to further add to her confusion, there were Cerberus soldiers running around with their weapons drawn. Fantastic. Wrex grabbed her by her elbow and yanked her onto her feet. She was still a bit disorientated by the chaos and the explosion.

It took a few more moments for her to snap out of it and she took out her M-3 Shuriken submachine gun and added it to the chaos, killing four Cerberus soldiers in the span of a few minutes. Wrex had pulled her behind a crate which gave them both a lot of cover. Their guards were also grateful that she was able to save them too because they backed away and were conveniently directing their attention in a different direction. Wrex nodded his head in the direction of the shuttle and Tristan nodded. Wrex charged into the fray which gave Tristan the opportunity to run towards the shuttle.

"Cortez, get ready to get airborne!" she yelled into the shuttle as she knelt on the ground to lay down suppressing fire for Wrex.

Whatever Wrex's plan was, she had absolutely no idea. She only hoped it was a good one. As soon as Wrex ran past her and climbed into the shuttle, she followed him and placed a fresh clip into her submachine gun. When she turned around to ask Wrex what the next part of the plan would be, the Krogan was nowhere to be seen. Then she looked into the cockpit and it was hard to tell who was more surprised: Tristan or Cortez. Wrex had pushed him into the co-pilot's chair and was sitting in the pilot's chair. The shuttle took off quickly and Tristan had to grab onto the door frame to keep her balance.

"You _do_ have a plan, right?" Tristan asked Wrex.

"Keep Cerberus off Shepard so she can get the females," Wrex explained.

"Simple. To the point. I like it," Tristan decided.

Wrex used the shuttle's communication devices to contact Shepard via video. Her concerned face filled the screen.

"Shepard, it's Wrex. Cerberus troops are attacking the base. Get the females out of there now," he ordered irritably.

_::Only one survived, Wrex. It might be safer down here.::_

Shepard genuinely looked sorry and Tristan might have shared the sentiment if she wasn't holding onto the door frame for dear life. Wrex hadn't closed the shuttle doors. The Krogan was only enraged by the news.

"What? So the Salarians can kill her like the others?" he demanded angrily and Tristan wondered if he was paying more attention to this conversation than where he was flying. She suddenly realised just how good of a pilot Lieutenant Cortez was. "No deal. If you still want this alliance, get her out of there now."

Shepard nodded and terminated the call. Tristan looked out of the front window and noticed the base was smoking in various places. There were also a lot of Cerberus aircraft flying around. Shuttles were dropping off reinforcements and gunships were shooting down the Salarian craft. Wrex engaged a few shuttles but he was mostly ignored.

"If Shepard is going to get the Krogan out, we need to cut off Cerberus reinforcements to buy them some time," Tristan decided.

Wrex grunted irritably. "If you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it."

Tristan rolled her eyes. Now she was getting attitude from a Krogan. "Get alongside one of the shuttles and I'll see what I can do."

Wrex glanced at her over his shoulder, trying to see if she was serious. She must have looked it because he nodded once. As agreed upon, Wrex was able to bring the shuttle beside a Cerberus shuttle. Tristan knew he would only be able to hang around for a few seconds so she did a running jump and easily cleared the distance. Wrex was forced to leave when a Cerberus gunship came after him. The Cerberus soldiers inside the shuttle had not yet noticed her and were firing at some targets. Tristan used her biotics to throw them all out of the shuttle so they would fall to their deaths and looked up to find a surprised Shepard staring at her. Tristan grinned and gave her a quick salute before opening the door into the cockpit. The pilots didn't know there was trouble yet so Tristan grabbed one from behind and broke his neck. The other one was startled but she was able to overpower him and snap his neck too.

She kicked both bodies out before hooking up her omni-tool to the shuttle's systems. As a general rule, she kept a couple of viruses saved on her omni-tool for use in the field and this shuttle provided the perfect opportunity to use them. It had access to the other shuttles and the gunships so that they could coordinate their attacks. Sometimes, Cerberus made this too easy. She uploaded a virus that would interfere with their communications. It wasn't as good as exploding them all but it would have to do. Then she accessed the computer to download information and then got ready to pilot.

The shuttle only had very basic guns and basic shields which was surprising for Cerberus. Perhaps the Illusive Man now viewed all of his soldiers as expendable. It was a sick thought so Tristan wouldn't be surprised if it were true. There was no real plan in her mind aside from what Wrex had thought up and she had not thought out an escape plan either. She would think of one when she needed it because things were just too chaotic at the moment to decide on a rock solid plan. In instances like this, it was easier to have no plans and quickly adapt. She used the Cerberus shuttle to either shoot at soldiers already on the ground that had cornered Salarians or she would attempt to shoot down other shuttles which didn't work too well. Her shuttle started to take some damage and she knew it wouldn't last must longer.

"Wrex, I'm going to need a pick up if it isn't too much trouble?" she asked.

"_I'm on my way,"_ the Krogan replied irritably.

When Tristan saw Cortez's shuttle coming up from behind, she engaged her auto-pilot to crash her shuttle into a Cerberus gunship that was giving the Salarians a hard time. Just as she engaged the auto-pilot, she did another running jump and managed to land inside the shuttle but she lost her balance and fell onto her side. It didn't hurt too badly but her back was still sore. Once she was able to stand up again, she headed towards the cockpit.

"How's it going?" she asked.

"Cerberus is having trouble coordinating their attacks," Cortez answered as they passed the exploding gunship. "I'm guessing you had something to do with it?"

Tristan shrugged. "Maybe. What's Shepard's progress?"

"They're at the final checkpoint," Cortez answered as the shuttle experienced some turbulence. "But they're pinned down by an Atlas."

"How close can you get?" she asked Wrex.

"Not close at all until they take care of it," Wrex replied in annoyance.

Tristan sulkily folded her arms in front of her chest. "Shepard has all of the fun."

The shuttle hovered in place while its crew waited anxiously. The other Cerberus craft was ignoring them because the Salarians were actively engaging Cerberus on all fronts now that they had gotten over the initial surprise.

_::Wrex, the Atlas is down. The landing zone is clear and the female is safe.::_

Wrex hurriedly landed the shuttle and it was quite rough. Tristan was jostled a bit and nearly fell over. She was going to be glad when Cortez was allowed back into the pilot's chair. The shuttle had barely touched the ground and Tristan was using the side of the shuttle to regain her balance when Wrex pushed past and hurried towards the female Krogan. Tristan peered out through the door and was quite impressed by the amount of destruction that had been caused. Wrex congratulated Shepard while a Salarian went to open the containment cell. The female Krogan exited the containment cell and quickly killed two Cerberus soldiers before Tristan could even draw her gun.

The female Krogan pushed past Wrex and headed straight to the shuttle. Tristan smiled and nodded in greeting. Wrex followed. The Salarian, Garrus and Liara came next while Shepard hung back for a moment. Tristan watched her closely but she did not ask what happened when Shepard finally climbed into the shuttle. The ride back to the _Normandy_ was a bit awkward, especially between the Salarian and Wrex. The female Krogan obviously trusted this Salarian more than Wrex which just annoyed the Krogan. When they finally returned to the _Normandy_, Shepard immediately went with the Salarian and Wrex to the conference room and Tristan escorted the female Krogan to the Medical Bay. Dr Chakwas helped her to get settled until the Salarian arrived so Tristan headed to her quarters.

Once she had gotten changed into her casual clothes, she went to investigate her terminal and found that the decryption was complete. She sat down and started to scan over the data. Much to her surprise, the information was quite easy to read. Perhaps she had spent too much time poring over Cerberus data or they just didn't think anyone would get past the initial encryption. Whatever the case was, Tristan hastily read through the information.

"Holy crap."


	12. Blast from the Past

**Chapter 12: Blast from the Past**

Tristan attempted to stifle a yawn with her hand as the elevator doors opened. Ever since they got back from Sur'Kesh, she had been studying the data and calling in a few favours to check the accuracy of it and to make sure it was still current. Given the turmoil and the chaos that was reigning the galaxy, anything could change within a heartbeat. It had been a few hours of non-stop researching, checking and double checking. She hadn't slept in a while and probably still wouldn't so there was one thing on her mind: caffeine. The hallways were empty and the crew deck was surprisingly quiet. Tristan paid little attention to her surroundings or where she was walking as her mind was preoccupied with everything she had read until she reached the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee. It was probably an old pot – it was nearly empty – but, hey, it was still caffeine.

"There you are."

Tristan jumped slightly and grabbed onto the edge of the counter with her free hand to regain her balance, luckily not spilling a drop of coffee. When she looked up, she wasn't surprised to see the amusement although the faces were unexpected. Shepard, James, Garrus, Liara, EDI and Joker were sitting at the large table with their own cups of coffee and a few snacks, evidently having a chat to pass the time. It was rare to see Liara out of her quarters lately because she always had work to do so Shepard must have persuaded her to take a break. Even so, Liara looked unimpressed and distant as though she was planning her next moves and mentally examining her latest information that the Shadow Broker network had collected. The others were more relaxed and it was confusing to see Joker out of the cockpit for once. He rarely left it unless his shift was over.

"Don't _do_ that," Tristan ordered as she tried to retain some semblance of dignity.

Garrus, Joker and James chuckled into their mugs. Shepard smirked in response.

"I thought I wasn't subtle," she teased and then a thought must have occurred to her because her expression changed to that of concern. "We haven't seen you in hours. I was about to send out a search party. And I know for a fact that it's pretty hard to get the drop on you."

Tristan shrugged and sat down in an empty chair. "I've been working on the data that Agent Wilcox gave me."

"Still?"

The question confused Tristan and she looked up the time on her omni-tool. "Huh."

It was late – much later than she realised - which meant most of the crew had turned in for the night and the alternate crew had taken over. This also explained why Joker wasn't piloting at this particular moment. Time certainly went by quickly when checking information.

"Who's Agent Wilcox?" Garrus asked.

"Alliance files indicate that she is a senior Black Operations Agent. Her career began as a soldier before she was recruited. Her files have many commendations for bravery and valour. She has also filed a few complaints against Agent Chase, most recently for getting her shot," EDI informed them all. The last bit surprised them all.

Tristan regarded EDI carefully for a moment before providing Garrus with a better explanation. "Wilcox and I did a few missions together a while ago. On the Citadel, she gave me some Cerberus data and I've been decrypting it."

"Anything interesting?" James asked curiously.

She didn't answer immediately and drank her coffee to buy some time. A part of her wanted to handle this entire thing on her own, deal a critical blow to Cerberus as revenge. A different part reminded her that this was important and Shepard also hand a right to know, given all she had been through and what Cerberus had done to her. Then there was the fact that Shepard was the commanding officer, after all.

"Well, it depends," she answered carefully. "How much time do we have before heading to Tuchanka?"

Shepard was definitely intrigued. "Mordin still needs quite a bit of time to make progress on the genophage cure and he is trying to buy Eve some time so her immune system will hold. We have time. Why?"

"In that case…it is _very _interesting and we'll need to go to Eden Prime."

Shepard's expression darkened and she traded a look with Joker. Tristan hadn't expected this to be good news so their reactions were not surprising.

"What's wrong with Eden Prime?" James asked in confusion when he noted the suddenly tense atmosphere.

"It was the mission that changed everything," Joker answered dramatically.

"It was _Normandy_'s shakedown run three years ago," Shepard explained with a tinge of sadness. "The crew was assembled especially for it. It was the first mission with Joker, Dr Chakwas, Engineer Adams and…Kaidan. We needed to go to Eden Prime to recover a functioning Prothean Beacon and Nihlus was the Council Spectre who was evaluating me…only things didn't go according to plan."

"That's an understatement," Joker interrupted in an undertone.

Shepard nodded in agreement. "That it is. The Geth invaded and practically destroyed Eden Prime. Saren killed Nihlus in cold blood and then I got Prothean visions burned into my brain. The Beacon was then destroyed and the Council blamed us for everything that went wrong."

Tristan knew that Shepard wasn't saying everything that was on her mind or that had happened. She guessed that Shepard was probably avoiding some of the darker conversation topics to keep herself from going down a dark path which would likely prevent her from sleeping later or focusing when she needed to.

"It wasn't all bad, Commander," Joker reminded.

"True," Shepard agreed. "We met Ash and most of the crew now were part of that first mission. How does Eden Prime factor in with Cerberus data?"

"There's no way I can say this that will make it sound like a good thing so I'm just going to come out and say it," Tristan decided. "Cerberus has located a working Prothean artefact."

There was silence as everyone processed this. It also looked like they were expecting Tristan to burst out laughing and yell "Just kidding".

"That's…that's not possible," Shepard stammered in disbelief.

"Why not?" Tristan challenged. "When they found the Beacon, everything else stopped while they examined it because it was supposedly the archaeological find of the year. They didn't keep looking for anything else until they were satisfied that they could learn everything possible from it. Then the Geth invaded and practically destroyed the colony. They spent so much time rebuilding and moving forward, they didn't look for more Prothean technology. And if they did, there was a possibility it would only bring more trouble…like Cerberus."

"And you're sure about this?" Shepard asked.

Tristan gave Shepard an annoyed look. "I haven't slept since Wilcox first gave me the data because I've been analysing every little thing to make sure it wasn't a Cerberus decoy. There is little to no communication from or to Eden Prime. Traffic is at an all-time low and I can't reach any Alliance soldiers that were posted there."

"It is a Reaper invasion," Shepard countered.

"There's been no reported Reaper presence in the system," Tristan argued. "I know I'm not exactly the poster child for Black Ops but I do know how to do my job and I do it really well. Give me a little credit."

Shepard sighed. "Sorry. It just sounds so…preposterous."

"Do you know what they found?" Liara asked in a hurried voice as though she had been waiting to ask this question for a while and didn't want to lose her window. Apparently her Shadow Broker duties were no longer interesting.

"Unfortunately, no," Tristan replied and shook her head. "They use similar methods to Black Ops communications so it's short and to the point with little detail. They only refer to it as the 'Prothean Artefact'. I know it's functioning but they're having trouble getting it to work so they'll be sticking around for a while. I can't say for how long though."

"Any ideas?" Shepard asked Liara.

The Asari was deep in thought. "They could have discovered another Beacon although that seems unlikely."

"This whole situation is unlikely," Joker reminded Liara.

"Well, whatever it is, we don't want Cerberus to figure out how to use it," Shepard decided. "We'll set course for Eden Prime immediately. At least it should give Mordin the time he needs."

Liara suddenly got to her feet. "I'll read over my research notes. Maybe there's something there that might tell us what Cerberus has found."

She practically ran back to her quarters and Shepard gave Tristan an annoyed look of her own.

"What?" Tristan asked slowly.

"Do you have any idea how long it took me to convince Liara to leave her quarters?"

Tristan shrugged. "Look at it this way: she'll want to be a part of the ground squad. No need to thank me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some sleep to catch up on."

Shepard rolled her eyes and they all bid each other good night as Tristan returned to the elevator. Hopefully, she could sneak in a few hours of sleep, assuming her brain would let her.

* * *

><p>Tristan watched Shepard closely as Lieutenant Cortez piloted the shuttle towards Eden Prime. Even though she had argued that the reason why she should be a part of the ground squad was because she had figured out what the data was about and had double checked all of the information, working for hours without sleep so it would be extremely unfair if she didn't go; this wasn't the real reason why she wanted to go. Since the words "Eden Prime" were obvious, Tristan knew it would have an effect on Shepard and she wanted to be there for her friend. Shepard would not appreciate being openly fussed over, especially while on a mission, so Tristan decided to keep her concern to herself. Liara would be too busy obsessing over everything Prothean and James, while a friend, was not privy to Shepard's inner most thoughts. And Tristan couldn't resist an opportunity to get one over Cerberus.<p>

Tristan and James were sitting next to each other in silence. Shepard was standing opposite them and holding onto one of the hand rails above. Her gaze was focused on the wall of the shuttle and she was distant, her thoughts lingering on the first mission she had on Eden Prime. Liara was entirely focused on the computer monitor attached to the shuttle's wall, engrossed by whatever information she had searched for. The Asari was practically buzzing with excitement, so much so that she reminded Tristan of a child on Christmas morning.

"Eden Prime," Liara remarked to no one in particular. "This is where it all began."

Shepard's head snapped up at the sudden break in silence and she focused on the computer monitor. Liara had set it to display information about the planet and the colony. Tristan could tell that Shepard was only half-listening to Liara.

"Where the Prothean Beacon gave you the vision that warned us about the Reapers," the Asari continued. "And now with Cerberus here, Eden Prime's colonists are under attack again."

"The colonists will be fine," Tristan said dismissively. "They recovered from the Geth. They'll recover from Cerberus. Eden Prime will probably be stronger for it in the long run."

"Maybe. The city on Earth where we grew up was hard and dirty. I can see it as a war zone. Eden Prime doesn't deserve this," Shepard acknowledged softly. "It feels much longer than just three years."

Tristan was about to point out that Shepard had been dead for two years so technically, for her, it had been shorter than three years but decided against it at the last possible second. It did not seem like a smart thing to point out, given the Commander's current mood and her death was always a touchy subject, especially with the Cerberus factor and that she had experienced doubts about her own loyalty to the Alliance. Tristan decided to keep quiet until she could add something useful to the conversation, just in case she upset her best friend.

"How bad?" James asked quietly.

Judging from his expression, he understood that this was a hard topic for Shepard to talk about and he wouldn't take it personally if she chose not to answer his question.

Shepard didn't answer immediately. "There were lots of dead civilians. I also lost a man to a Geth drone: Corporal Richard Jenkins."

"Jenkins' death wasn't your fault," Tristan reassured when she recognised Shepard's guilty expression. "He died a soldier's death while protecting his home."

Shepard glanced in Tristan's direction for a moment and then looked to the floor. Tristan had told her a similar thing when Shepard had called her when the _Normandy SR-1_ had docked with the Citadel hours later and Shepard was waiting for the meeting with Councillor Udina to begin. She didn't believe it then either.

"Report said Saren had bombs set up to wipe out the whole colony," James continued, once again allowing Shepard the opening to change the conversation if she wished.

"Not on my watch."

"Damn straight, Lola."

There was a small smile on Shepard's face afterwards and Tristan had no idea if it was the nickname or James' fierce agreement with her actions.

"Cerberus hit Eden Prime hard. Whatever they found here was worth a major offensive," Liara explained although it sounded like she was trying hard to keep her excitement out of her voice. "There are survivors elsewhere on the colony but they killed everyone near the dig site."

Shepard swore softly under her breath. "They deserve better."

"I know. The Alliance did what they could to evacuate colonists but Cerberus came in so quickly…" Liara tried to reassure Shepard.

"If we find survivors, we'll do what we can," Shepard ordered in determination. "What about this Prothean artefact? Is it part of the Prothean device we found on Mars?"

"The Alliance didn't get any specifics about what Cerberus has uncovered," Liara answered. "But whatever it is, it's better off with us than Cerberus."

Shepard looked to Tristan. "Do you have any guesses?"

Tristan shrugged. "I can only speculate at this point. Cerberus killed any possible witnesses in the area which means it's an important discovery and they didn't want word getting out about it. They obviously believe that whatever it is will give them an advantage over the Alliance and the Reapers. It probably won't be a Beacon though."

Given all the facts that she had at the moment and a clear mind after some sleep, she had only recently arrived at this conclusion.

"How do you figure that?" Liara asked in confusion.

"Back on Mars, the Illusive Man was willing to download the information via an undercover agent and then destroy it so we couldn't get a hold of it but here, it's different. They still have an obvious presence which means it isn't simple data to download otherwise they would have destroyed it and moved on by now so it's either difficult to move or it has some serious security protocols that they can't force their way through which doesn't seem like the case for the Beacons. I also predict that we'll meet little resistance at first. Once they realise we're here though, things will get pretty exciting. If they're going to this much trouble to keep it secret, they'll probably go further to keep us from taking it."

"It's a good thing we've had practice killing Cerberus soldiers then," Shepard remarked.

"I'm bringing you in as close to the dig site as I can," Cortez informed them from the cockpit.

Shepard made her way into the cockpit to talk with Cortez for a few minutes and then returned. "Get ready to move."

James and Tristan got to their feet and they all took out their guns, making sure they were loaded and ready to go.

"With luck, we can get to the dig site before Cerberus knows we're here," Liara said hopefully.

Shepard and Tristan traded a sceptical look. Luck wasn't always on their side and it seemed to have taken a vacation since the Reaper invasion started. Tristan couldn't decide whether Liara was optimistic or just naïve though her behaviour since Mars pointed towards the latter. Cortez managed to drop them off in the middle of a settlement. The buildings would provide them with some cover and it would also help them to move around unseen until Cerberus detected them. It also meant that they would probably stumble upon the bodies of murdered civilians or Alliance soldiers.

They took a few moments to gain their bearings before Shepard started to move. James followed and then Tristan. Liara brought up the rear so her biotics would be at their most effective without putting her in danger. They walked in silence, following the paths through the settlements until they reached an overlook. Down below, the recognisable shapes of many Prothean Beacons stood out in front of them. Just like Mars, Tristan didn't know how to feel about all of these latest discoveries. At least Eden Prime was more understandable than Mars, given everything the colonists had been through.

"Look at that," Shepard nodded in the direction of the structures ahead of them. "Bits of Prothean tech sticking out of the ground like an old bone."

"Hey, Liara, you ever find dinosaurs while you're digging around?" James suddenly asked.

Tristan first glanced at him to try to guess whether he was being serious or not. His expression was impossible to read although he did look curious to hear her answer. Tristan then looked to Shepard to see if she could tell and she only shrugged in answer.

"No, dinosaurs and other fossils would be palaeontology," Liara explained honestly. "I'm an archaeologist. I study artefacts left by sapient species. The two fields are completely different and…you were joking."

"Hey, I just like dinosaurs," James replied with an innocent shrug.

Tristan and Shepard smirked in amusement. Boys would be boys. Tristan had never known a boy who didn't like dinosaurs. When she glanced at James again, she noticed he was also amused but she still couldn't tell how serious his question had been. With the lecture on the differences between archaeology and palaeontology complete, Shepard continued to lead them towards the dig site. They cut through a few houses (if the doors were unlocked) to keep their advantage for as long as possible. The houses were always in a mess, usually with datapads scattered around and cups which had been knocked over. This could have been evidence of a struggle or a hurried departure. Tristan hoped it was the second option, if only for Shepard's sake.

While passing through someone's home, a computer terminal caught Tristan's eye. She headed over to investigate once Shepard was informed. A single message was still displayed on the monitor and it was titled _Processing Update_.

"What does it say?" Shepard asked. She was standing guard by the door.

"It looks like a Cerberus update," Tristan answered. "They're holding a few colonists in work camps. The details are sketchy but…hang on, this is interesting."

"What?" Shepard demanded impatiently when Tristan remained silent.

"Cerberus is using lies to manipulate the colonists into cooperating. They don't have the manpower to fight the colonists if they found out the truth."

Liara looked up at the Commander. "This Cerberus data could help the colonists still alive on other parts of Eden Prime."

Shepard frowned. "How?"

"I can get this intel to Eden Prime's resistance. Maybe it will help them fight back against Cerberus," Liara explained.

Shepard looked at Tristan and nodded. Liara walked towards the terminal and Tristan started to transfer the data to her omni-tool. Once the transfer was complete, Liara started to work on her omni-tool and Tristan made sure there was nothing else of interest on the terminal before they continued forward. Once they left the house, they soon found themselves walking on some metallic grating. This in itself was not weird but it was not part of the settlement which meant Cerberus had brought it.

"There!" Liara suddenly exclaimed which slightly startled Tristan. "That's the elevator that leads down into the dig site."

The elevator controls were right on the edge of the grating so they walked up to it. Tristan continued to keep an eye out in case Cerberus decided to ambush them. Once they got close enough, Liara went straight to the controls and started to push some buttons. At first, it didn't look like anything was happening but then the elevator started to rise. Shepard was standing on the edge, waiting for the elevator while Tristan and James hung back. There must have been some information stored near the controls because Liara suddenly looked very confused and surprised.

"Goddess…that doesn't seem possible."

Tristan looked to the Asari. "That's starting to sound like our catch phrase at the moment. What did you find?"

"It's not a Prothean artefact," Liara answered and went to stand beside Shepard "It's…"

"A what?" Tristan asked impatiently. "A bird? A plane?"

James chuckled softly beside her. At least someone found her funny.

Liara ignored her completely. "…a Prothean," she finished as soon as the elevator was level with them all.

Tristan and James slowly walked forward. It sounded completely ridiculous but the object on the elevator did look like a stasis pod. It could definitely hold a body. After 50 000 years, it couldn't possibly be working though…could it?

"You mean a Collector?" James asked, hoping for some clarification or reasonable explanation. "Those things the Reapers turned the Protheans into?"

"No," Liara answered with a shake of her head. "An original, unmodified Prothean…who's still alive."

"Well, when you put it that way…it still sounds completely impossible and utterly insane," Tristan remarked.

"You're right," Shepard stated to the Asari. "That doesn't sound possible."

They started walking towards the pod to get a closer look.

"You saw Prothean stasis chambers in the archives on Ilos," Liara pointed out. "The only reason those failed was lack of power." She brought up her omni-tool and started to scan the pod. "Cerberus found this in an underground bunker. It still has power. He's been in stasis for the past 50 000 years. Waiting for us. Think of what we could learn."

"Good thing we brought our Prothean expert," Shepard said with a small smile.

Liara returned the smile. "I hope I can help. If this single Prothean was sent into stasis, he could be the foremost scientist of his time…or perhaps the wisest counsellor."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. There was that optimism again. For all they knew, this Prothean could have been a coward who didn't want to face the war of his time and retreated into stasis until a better time. Or this could have been the only stasis pod to have survived or escaped the destruction of the Prothean race.

Liara suddenly made a frustrated noise. "Cerberus damaged the pod when they excavated it. The life signs are unstable."

"Figures," Tristan commented. "Cerberus tends to break more than they fix."

"Then we should get him out of there," Shepard decided.

"No," Liara ordered. "Breaking open the pod would kill him. We have to find the command signal that ends the stasis mode. We also need to figure out how to physically open the pod without doing more damage."

"Of course we do," Tristan said with a sigh. "Why is nothing ever easy?"

Liara continued to type away at her omni-tool, still ignoring Tristan. "Cerberus took over the labs nearby to research what they found at the dig site. That's likely our best bet."

Shepard started to lead the way towards the labs when a shuttle suddenly flew over them. It was so low that Tristan had to duck down.

"Heads up!" James shouted as the shuttle hovered over a nearby house.

Cerberus troops started to drop down and everyone took cover. Tristan took out her Shuriken and then noticed only a couple of soldiers had been dropped off and they were huddling quite close to one another. An idea popped into Tristan's head. It was something she'd read in recent reports about biotics and their attacks. It was worth a try.

"Liara, singularity!" Tristan yelled over the gunfire.

The Asari was confused but she obliged. The singularity appeared in the middle of the group. Perfect. Tristan sent a Warp at the singularity. As soon as the biotic energy made contact, it exploded. Those soldiers that had been caught in the singularity's field were sent flying while the others were knocked back. The force of the explosion was enough to kill everything Cerberus within its range. It was pretty impressive and it worked better than expected.

"We need to get out of here before reinforcements show up," Shepard ordered.

Now that they had lost the advantage of secrecy, there was little time to admire their handiwork. They needed to move quickly and get the information that Liara had mentioned before Cerberus had a chance to remove the stasis pod. They cut through the first house they found and as they moved cautiously, Tristan noted another computer terminal that was still on. Knowing silence was key at the moment, she attracted Liara's attention and nodded in the direction of the terminal. Liara went to investigate while they peered through the doors to make sure the coast was clear. As soon as Liara was done, they continued forward.

Shepard suddenly gave them the hand signal to stop. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they had stumbled across a few more Cerberus troopers. Tristan carefully peered out the window. There looked to be five troopers and a turret. They were all positioned outside a locked door which could only mean one thing. Tristan ducked down again. The turret was going to prove troublesome…or so Tristan assumed. Shepard gave the signal to be ready and then she took out a sticky grenade. She then quickly leant around the door and threw the grenade at the turret. The turret exploded which attracted the attention of the Cerberus soldiers. These ones were spread out pretty far from each other so another biotic explosion wouldn't be smart.

Tristan sent a Warp towards an Engineer before he could set up another turret and followed this up with her Shuriken. Liara had sent a singularity at the doors which had pulled two assault troopers into it, giving the Asari time to finish them off with her pistol. James and Shepard had used their shotguns to kill off the remaining two. When silence followed, they quickly headed towards the locked doors. Tristan brought up her omni-tool once she holstered her gun and began to bypass the lock. James and Shepard were kneeling down behind her with their shotguns ready, just in case more soldiers arrived while she was busy. As soon as the doors opened, another assault trooper came charging at her and Tristan instinctively threw her knife at him, killing him instantly. Sometimes her reflexes were so quick, she even impressed herself.

Once they were all inside, Tristan locked the door behind them and retrieved her knife. Shepard led the way into the next room. A large monitor covered one wall with a keyboard just below it. There were also a few microscopes, datapads and OSDs lying around. Liara went to investigate one of the datapads.

"This lab found footage of the Protheans," Liara explained. "Cerberus is studying it to figure out how to physically open the pod."

Shepard experimentally pushed a few keys on the keyboard. The monitor buzzed into life and static filled the screen.

Tristan looked at Liara. "You sure about that? All I see is static."

"That's what the datapad said," Liara answered unsurely.

"Maybe they erased it?" James suggested.

Tristan shrugged. "What do you think, Shepard?"

They all looked to their Commander expectantly…only nothing happened. She was standing there, staring at the monitor completely engrossed by the static as if there was nothing else going on around her. They said her name a few more times with no response. Tristan carefully took a step closer and then poked Shepard in the shoulder, knowing that Shepard hated it when she did that. Almost immediately, she jumped backwards to avoid a punch in the shoulder that never came. Weird. They looked at each other helplessly. What was going on?

"I think I can duplicate that to open the stasis pod," Shepard suddenly announced.

James and Tristan looked at each other in confusion.

"You understood that?" Liara asked, just as confused as they were.

Shepard turned to look at them and noticed their confusion. "You didn't?"

Liara shook her head slowly. "No. All we saw was static. Cerberus was trying to make sense of it…without success. The Prothean Cipher you received on Feros…it lets you see images as a Prothean would…and understand their language."

That made sense…kind of. Tristan was glad to know that James was still as confused as she was.

"Whatever it does, I saw the video," Shepard explained, not sounding entirely convinced either. "And how they sealed the stasis pods."

"Perfect," Liara replied. "Then we just need the signal they use to activate the stasis mode."

"Oh, is that all?" Tristan muttered under her breath.

Liara made it sound so easy. Cerberus now knew that they were here and would do everything possible to stop them. It was only going to get more difficult.

* * *

><p>Tristan, James and Liara kept their distance from the pod. Cerberus had put up quite the fight to prevent them from getting this close but they were victorious. However, there was no guarantee that the pod wouldn't blow up or that the Prothean wouldn't try to kill them. Shepard had ordered them to keep their distance for an entirely different reason though. She was worried that too many people crowding around the Prothean would put him on the defensive and he would already be disorientated after being in stasis for 50 000 years. Tristan made sure to be at the ready to throw up a Barrier just in case.<p>

The pod slowly started to open and the locks hissed. Liara couldn't control her curiosity so she walked forward and stood next to Shepard. Tristan was quite happy where she was standing, thank you very much. James must have felt the same way because he didn't make a move to join them. Liara was talking to Shepard but the words didn't mean anything to Tristan. She kept her eyes focused on the pod and she slowly placed her hand on her Shuriken. The Prothean woke up after a few minutes and he must have panicked because he sent out a wave of powerful biotic energy. It knocked all four of them off their feet. Tristan guessed they were lucky he was so out of it otherwise they could have been seriously hurt.

In the brief glimpse Tristan had gotten, she was surprised by how much this Prothean resembled the Collectors. Sure, they had once been Protheans but after 50 000 years of whatever the hell the Reapers did to them, she expected something else. This Prothean reminded her of a lizard with his dark green skin that resembled scales. He also had four eyes and his armour looked very familiar to that of the Samurais of ancient Earth history. Liara was the first to recover and get to her feet. The Prothean was stumbling around and he was having a hard time getting his footing. When he saw Liara on her feet, he took off in the opposite direction. Shepard got to her feet next and started to go after the Prothean.

"Be careful," Liara warned. "He's confused."

James got to his feet next, even as Liara and Shepard were running after the Prothean. He helped Tristan get up and it took her a moment to regain her balance. The Prothean was a powerful biotic but his biotics felt…different. She couldn't explain how and she didn't know why – perhaps the fact that his biotics were green as opposed to blue had something to do with it – but it hit her harder than any other biotic she had encountered before. Once she had regained her balance, Tristan and James jogged to catch up with the others. The Prothean had stopped running and was staring out into the dig site in shock.

Shepard placed a hand on the Prothean's shoulder in an effort to comfort him and to show that they were not enemies…only something happened. Tristan had no idea what but they both seemed to shut down for a few moments like when Shepard had been staring into the static. Liara also looked surprised. It wasn't long until the Prothean collapsed to the floor and Shepard placed a hand to her forehead as if to ward off a headache. Tristan decided to remain where she was standing. They still had no idea if they could trust him and she didn't want to get hit by his biotics again. They were too far away to catch any conversation.

Shepard and the Prothean continued to talk until Cortez interrupted them. Apparently, Cerberus had gotten very interested in their activities. It was at this moment that Liara, James and Tristan decided to approach. He looked calmed enough and probably wouldn't attack them. Tristan decided to remain cautious and decided not to get too close.

The Prothean looked to them when he saw them approach. "Asari. Humans. I am surrounded by primitives."

Tristan had no idea if she should be offended or not. Before she could make up her mind, Shepard turned around and looked to the Prothean.

"It's not safe here. Will you join us?" she asked quietly.

This did not sound like a good idea to Tristan. They knew absolutely nothing about him and they didn't even know if they could trust him. As much as she wanted to argue, she knew it was not her place to do so and a powerful biotic could come in useful.

"You fight the Reapers?" the Prothean asked.

"Yes."

"Then we will see."

Shepard held out her hand for a handshake. The Prothean looked at it and turned to walk away.

"Delightful fellow," Tristan remarked and watched him carefully. "So…is he on our side or is he going to murder us all while we're asleep?"

James shrugged. "Who knows?"

Shepard walked over to them. "Lieutenant Cortez is ready to pick us up."

"Admiral Hackett is just going to _love_ this," Tristan told her.

Shepard smiled and they made their way to the shuttle. The trip back to the _Normandy_ was silent. The Prothean did not look to be in a talking mood and the others had no idea what to say anyway. Shepard had used the shuttle's communications to give the crew a heads up although Joker didn't think Shepard was being serious at first. Out of all the things Cerberus could have discovered on Eden Prime, no one could have guessed it to be a living, breathing, grumpy Prothean. Tristan only hoped he was worth all of this trouble and that he would prove to be more helpful than he was being at the moment.

At least the Illusive Man would be angry. Cerberus was so close to having a Prothean on their side and Shepard was able to snatch it away, right under the Illusive Man's nose. He was going to regret making an enemy out of the _Normandy_'s crew. The Prothean should also feel a bit of gratitude towards them. Tristan guessed that had Cerberus gotten a hold of him, they either would have interrogated him for any information that would give them the advantage or they would have killed him to study him. Neither option was good and they were all lucky that Shepard's squad had arrived when they did. With any luck, this Prothean would prove to be a blessing rather than a curse.


	13. Killing Time

**I owe you all an apology for how long it took to update this. I completely lost track of time and Christmas was more chaotic than I realised it would be. Then my internet got struck by lightning and my laptop is still having its issues. I hope you all had a great Christmas and I wish you all the very best for 2013.**

**On another note, I also wanted to wait until **_**Mass Effect: Paragon Lost**_** (apparently just because its animated doesn't mean there won't be a lot of blood) came out so I could familiarise myself a bit better with the **_**Mass Effect**_** universe and also get a better look at James Vega – his personality and his background. **

**I once again apologise for my lateness but I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's pretty slow in terms of combat but the next one will get fun again.**

**Chapter 13: Killing Time**

Tristan sighed in boredom as she continued to stare at her ceiling. It had started out as an attempt to catch some sleep but it was now an attempt at finding something to do. It was really late – or really early, depending on how you looked at it - so most of the crew would be asleep…probably. There had been a lot of excitement aboard the _Normandy_ since Javik agreed to offer his services and fight alongside Shepard. Not only was he a Prothean but he also had experience fighting against the Reapers. Most of the crew figured that this gave them an advantage they didn't previously have. If he didn't seem likely to kill someone at any given moment, he would probably be bombarded with questions around the clock. Liara was particularly good at this new pastime, if the rumours were true.

Tristan did not trust Javik in the slightest which was why she had yet to have a conversation with him. When they first brought him aboard, she figured that Liara would be the better choice to handle the situation given everything she knew about the Protheans and she practically bounced at the opportunity. The truth was he gave Tristan the creeps. Javik's biotics were not like anything she had ever encountered before and his personality…well, she would sooner have tea with Harbinger than have a conversation with him. He also had a superiority complex which was getting pretty old pretty fast. Tristan knew that he was the last of his people and she knew that the universe was completely different than it had been in his time but this didn't mean he had the right to be such a…there were so many choices to fill in that blank that she couldn't decide which one was more appropriate.

Giving up on sleep entirely, Tristan kicked off her covers and changed into her casual clothes. Normally, she would only grab a couple of hours of sleep a week, usually whenever she felt tired or her brain was exhausted. Black Ops agents were always expected to be at the top of their game around the clock so it wasn't uncommon for most of them to have adapted to functioning on minimal sleep. However with the Reaper invasion going on, she tried to get some rest whenever possible. The galaxy was so fragile at the moment that nothing was set in stone and it wouldn't hurt to be prepared for anything because she didn't know when she would next have an opportunity to sleep.

The Cargo Hold was silent as she emerged from her quarters, aside from James' light snoring and it sounded like Lieutenant Cortez couldn't sleep either. He was working on the shuttle and didn't even look up as she stepped into the elevator. There always seemed to be a number of people who couldn't sleep at any given time so it wasn't surprising. Some members of the crew would get restless between travelling – mostly the ground squad – because they felt like they needed to fight something. For others, they often couldn't sleep when they had heard some news from home or received a message from a loved one who had somehow managed to escape the Reapers' onslaught. Those few crew members who did work with their hands rarely slept (such as the engineers and Joker) because they were always trying to find new ways to help with the mission and make the _Normandy_ better in some way or they were just making sure everything was running smoothly, just in case. But the _Normandy_'s mission did weigh heavily on the minds of everyone and it was enough to keep people awake some nights.

The Mess Hall wasn't as empty as expected. A few servicemen were sitting at the tables, drinking coffee. Dr Chakwas and Chief Engineer Adams were sitting opposite each other, absorbed in their conversation. And Shepard was sitting alone, staring into her mug as though it held all the answers. From this distance, Tristan could tell she was exhausted and probably not eating well. Between the dreams, the Prothean Cipher and the entire galaxy depending on her, Tristan had expected nothing less. She made herself a cup of coffee before heading over and taking the seat opposite to Shepard who didn't notice her arrival…or so Tristan had assumed.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" Shepard asked.

Tristan smiled. "I'm not exactly known for my stable sleeping habits, Nads."

"Fair enough," she allowed and looked up. "Do you ever picture yourself living a normal life?"

Tristan was surprised and taken aback by the question. It wasn't something she had ever thought about and it wasn't something she expected Shepard to ask. "You mean…living in the suburbs with a white picket fence and raising 2.5 kids, spending your free time baking cherry pies and waving to the neighbours?"

Shepard smiled and shook her head. "Not exactly. I mean having the occasional day off where not every mission is potentially life threatening; where we could get 8 hours of sleep a night and the fate of the entire galaxy didn't hang on our every move and decision. A life where we could actually settle down and find some semblance of happiness."

Tristan considered her words. The way Shepard described it led Tristan to believe she was getting tired of all of this and just wanted a break. She had definitely put some serious thought into this. After stopping Saren and his Geth army, dying and then being brought back to life by a terrorist organisation followed by going through the Omega 4 Relay to defeat the Collectors…well, if anyone deserved a break, it was Shepard.

"Nah, that sounds boring."

Shepard snorted in amusement. "Perhaps asking you wasn't the best decision ever."

Tristan shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think the life is for me. I've probably killed as many people as I've saved. A happy ending…it just isn't me. You, on the other hand, with everything you've done, you deserve happiness. Maybe when we've kicked the Reapers' ass, you'll get your happy ending."

Shepard had not expected that answer and stared at her in surprise for a few moments. "Tristan…"

"What?" she asked with a smile. "Black Ops doesn't exactly encourage stable relationships, especially when it comes to romantic entanglements. I realised it when Dylan married Jessica and I made peace with that a long time ago. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty useless when it comes to that romantic crap anyway."

Shepard had to smile. "Maybe because you refer to it as 'crap'."

Tristan shrugged dismissively.

"What about you and James?"

Tristan choked on her coffee. She should have seen the question coming but she didn't. "I really have no idea, beyond the fact that I like him and care about him. For all I know, it could just be harmless flirting like he does with you."

Shepard shook her head again. "Wow. You really _are_ useless with the romantic crap."

Tristan had no idea what she did and she blinked in confusion. "…Why?"

"When he flirts with me, it's completely over the top and so obviously not serious, a blind man could see it," Shepard answered. "When he flirts with you…it's different. _He's_ different. For one, he always laughs at your jokes, even when they aren't funny."

"Hey," Tristan interjected defensively. "I'm hilarious."

"Not the point, Tris," Shepard redirected with a smirk. "He also stays to help you out whenever you get knocked off your feet and on the missions you come along with…well, he's more relaxed and actually follows my orders with little sarcasm or pickup lines. I also don't have to worry about him pulling a similar stunt to what he did on Mars."

Tristan frowned. She had no idea what Shepard was getting at or where this was going. "Meaning…?"

Shepard sighed in exasperation and judging from her expression, she was trying to resist face palming. "Meaning, he likes you too."

"Oooooooh," she said in her moment of dawning comprehension.

Shepard smirked while she shook her head. "For someone who can crack Cerberus encryption, you sure are dense sometimes."

"Trying to figure out whether a boy likes me or not hasn't really been a problem since we were kids," Tristan pointed out.

"Well, now that you know, what do you plan on doing?" Shepard asked with a sparkle of amusement in her eyes. It was good to see something other than exhaustion or anxiety though.

Tristan shrugged as she absently traced the top of her mug with her finger. "Nothing."

Shepard gave her a serious look. "Really?"

"Yep," Tristan answered. "I have a tendency to ruin relationships with people. You and I have known each other for so long and been through so much that you're pretty much the only one I can consider a friend. If I actually try to do anything about James…well, it'll most likely blow up in my face. There's even a chance it could become literal."

"What about your niece and nephew? It sounds like they love you," Shepard countered.

"They don't count," Tristan dismissed with a wave of her hand. "They're biologically inclined to love me. Besides, given our current mission I think I have more important things to worry about than my non-existent love life."

Shepard gave her a disappointed look. "Always putting the mission first. Speaking of which…we're heading to the Attican Traverse to do a favour for Wrex. Apparently, a Krogan team went missing and he suspects Rachni are involved somehow."

"Rachni?" Tristan repeated in surprise. "Didn't you encounter their Queen three years ago?"

Shepard nodded. "It was on Noveria. She seemed to understand what had happened during the Rachni Wars and promised to stay out of trouble so I let her live."

"Are you regretting that decision now?" Tristan asked.

"I don't know yet," she answered carefully. "We aren't completely sure about what happened to the Krogan team so I don't want to assume anything just yet. For all we know, it could have nothing to do with Rachni. I'm going to take Liara and Garrus so that means you'll be in charge while I'm gone. I do have a favour to ask you though."

"Shoot."

"I want you to talk with Javik."

Tristan raised an eyebrow and leant back in her chair. "He creeps me out, Nads. Besides, if he refers to me as primitive, I'll probably punch him."

Shepard grinned. "That doesn't surprise me. I know you've been avoiding him since Eden Prime but he is a part of this crew and at some point, you'll have to work together. All I'm asking for is one conversation, beyond the pleasantries. You had an issue with EDI's new body and now you're fine with it. Maybe you and Javik will find that you have some things in common."

"Such as…?" Tristan asked sceptically.

Shepard shrugged. "You are both pretty good at killing people and you're both looking for revenge. And you're both biotics. Maybe he can show you a few tricks?"

"And maybe we'll braid each other's' hair afterwards," Tristan added sarcastically.

It was clear from Javik's behaviour that he was not planning on making any friends. He was only part of the crew because he wanted to defeat the Reapers and Shepard was giving him the chance to do so. Tristan guessed that if someone else was able to give him a better chance, Javik wouldn't hesitate to change his loyalties because he was not loyal to Shepard, only to the promise of vengeance.

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Technically, Javik doesn't have hair. I don't expect you to be best buds afterwards but some semblance of cooperation would be nice."

"Fine," Tristan decided with a dramatic sigh. "But I take no responsibility if there's violence."

"Just don't break the ship," Shepard warned.

Tristan shrugged as she lifted up her mug. "I make no promises."

They remained in the Mess Hall for another hour or two, talking about nothing in particular. Some of the other crew members were starting to wake up and wander around the ship. Joker also announced that they were going to enter the Attican Traverse which was Shepard's cue to leave. She wanted a few words with Joker before heading down to the shuttle where Garrus and Liara would be waiting for her to go on their mission. Tristan hoped that the Rachni weren't involved because the implications weren't pretty. At least Shepard would get to run around with a group of Krogan. That always seemed to cheer her up.

Tristan stayed in her seat for a little while, trying to decide what to do, mostly to put off a conversation with Javik. After a few minutes, she decided to go check on things in the cockpit. Joker was sitting in his seat, peering over his consoles with a trained eye and a look of intense concentration which was unusual for him. EDI was sitting in the co-pilot's chair and was carefully examining data. EDI was constantly investigating some or other data and most of the time, Tristan had no idea why. Most of it made little to no sense to Tristan so she never bothered asking. EDI was rarely able to simplify things.

"How are things going?" she asked when she was standing behind Joker's chair.

"The board is green," Joker answered automatically, his attention still fixed on his console.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "What are you watching?" A part of her wasn't sure if she wanted to know, given Joker's choice in entertainment.

"Jeff is watching footage of his last card game with Lieutenant Vega," EDI explained. "He is searching for the lieutenant's…_'poker face'_." EDI's tone indicated that she was not entirely convinced by the idea of a poker face nor was she familiar with the term.

It was well known on the _Normandy_ that Joker was the worst poker player on the entire crew. Most of the crew tended to avoid playing poker though in case they attracted James' attention. He had not yet found an opponent he could not beat and he had quite a few tricks up his sleeve. There was a rumour going around that suggested either Tristan or Shepard would be able to beat him. Unfortunately, Shepard rarely had time to play poker while Tristan didn't see the appeal of the game. She had a lot of practice at reading people and it was quite easy – most of the time – to tell when someone was bluffing. This just made the game too easy for her and gambling money…she didn't really see the point of it. Joker was James' favourite victim though he seemed to be getting tired of constantly beating the helmsman.

"Uh huh," Tristan replied with a smile. "And how's that going?"

"Not well," Joker admitted slowly and then he realised something. He turned his chair around to face Tristan and there was a hopeful look on his face. "You're pretty close with James. Have you seen his poker face?"

"Not that I can recall," she answered after a moment's thought. "I don't play poker and I haven't had a reason to look out for it. Besides, one doesn't typically need a poker face while in combat. Although…can I offer you some advice?"

Joker looked at her sceptically. How could someone that doesn't play poker help someone else to get better at it? "Go ahead."

"Discovering your opponent's tell won't help if you can't control your own," Tristan explained. "Find out what your own tell is and then learn to hide it better. You should also work on your own poker face."

It was pretty straightforward advice and it came in handy when working undercover. If you couldn't convince yourself of what you were doing then there was no way to convince someone else. If Joker wanted to become better at poker then he would need to focus on what he was doing before he looked at what his opponent was doing.

"How?" Joker asked with a baffled expression. He really was easy to read.

Tristan tried to think of an example. It would be easier to explain with an example when Joker was actually serious or when he was able to hide his emotions. "Imagine yourself speaking with Admiral Hackett. I'm assuming you're professional when you need to report to him?"

Joker was silent for a few moments. "I think that actually helps. Thanks."

"Don't sound so surprised," she replied with a smile. "I can actually help on occasion."

"I just expected bullets to be involved," Joker retorted with a smile of his own.

Tristan wanted to argue but the helmsman did have a point. She preferred to use bullets rather than words however she doubted bullets would solve Joker's problems and Shepard would not appreciate it if her favourite pilot was riddled with bullet holes. EDI had nothing to report so Tristan took her leave and went to investigate the War Room. Wrex and Victus had taken up positions on opposite sides of the room with a few nervous looking servicemen in between them. Tristan went to make sure that they were both all right and it turned out they didn't need anything from her at the moment. Strangely enough, these were the only politicians that Tristan had some respect for although that probably had to do with the fact that they had been soldiers before becoming politicians.

Specialist Traynor greeted her brightly as she passed on her way towards the elevator. She was a bright girl with a lot of skill in data analysis but she put a little too much stock in the luxuries of life and Tristan figured that the realities of combat hadn't quite hit home yet even though Traynor's homeworld had been hit by the Collectors. It would be interesting to see if she was even capable of holding a gun although not every battle could be won with weapons. Sometimes a sharp mind was more important. Tristan returned her greeting as she got into the elevator and headed towards the Engineering Deck. She had promised to talk to Javik and the sooner it was out of the way, the better. The fact that she had no idea what else she could do had nothing to do with this decision, obviously.

Tristan approached the port side cargo hold and took a deep breath. If everything went well, this conversation would take no longer than a few minutes and Shepard would be appeased. At least EDI would be able to keep an eye on things in case anything went horribly wrong. Tristan supposed this was a good thing. It was kind of hard at first to get used to the idea of sleeping while someone was constantly watching, even an artificial intelligence but Tristan was suddenly comforted by the idea…or at least less uncomfortable. Javik had transformed his quarters quite a bit although there was no sign of a bed or any furniture, really. There was a large monitor that took up one of the walls and there were two large tables that actually looked like basins of some sort. A shard of rock was levitating in green energy on another table close to the door. Javik's back was facing the door as Tristan entered and he didn't look up from washing his hands.

"I like what you've done with the place," Tristan remarked, trying to start off on a positive note. "It's… (she searched for an appropriate word) homey."

"My home was destroyed 50 000 years ago," the Prothean snapped.

Great. They were off to a fantastic start. How could things get any worse from here?

"I'm Agent Tristan Chase, Commander Shepard's executive officer."

"Commander Javik. Is there something you wanted?"

She'd met Vorcha with more appealing personalities. "Commander Shepard suggested we talk as you are now a member of the crew."

Javik paused in his hand washing and turned to face her with an angry expression. "The Reapers are destroying your entire galaxy and you wish to trade words?"

"Technically, Shepard wants us to 'trade words'," Tristan responded calmly. "And while the Reapers are invading, there is nothing we can do about it at this particular moment. We need to appreciate the peaceful moments whenever we can get them and prepare to strike so we will be ready when there's an opportunity."

The Prothean regarded her silently for a few moments, his expression changing slightly though the scowl remained. Tristan figured this met Shepard's requirements and she prepared to leave when Javik closed the distance between them in a few strides. Before she could react, Javik roughly grabbed her shoulders and their faces were mere centimetres apart. The last time she had stood this close to someone was…no, it didn't matter. She was still trying to figure out whether Javik was going to kill her or not and this line of thinking was far more important than focusing on her sparring matches with James. A subtle pulse of energy passed through her entire body which was definitely not biotic energy. It was a weird sensation that was neither hot nor cold. There was no pain but it definitely had a presence and it was over in a second. Javik stared into her eyes and Tristan refused to blink or look away, just in case she appeared weak.

"You've killed many people before, some of whom were not soldiers or armed. You do what needs to be done and keep emotion out of it," Javik remarked thoughtfully and an uncomfortable feeling settled in Tristan's stomach. Where was this going? Tristan hated to talk about the people she killed or the things she had done for the Alliance as these things still bothered her. "You are not afraid to use your skills or abilities if it means getting the job done. Commander Shepard will have need of your strength and skill."

Javik stepped away and returned to his basin. Tristan remained where she was standing, trying to figure out what exactly had happened and how he knew about it when she had told no one of the people she regretted killing, not even Shepard.

"What do you mean?" she asked eventually and she was pleased when her voice sounded calmer than she felt.

Javik was focused on cleaning his hands again. "Your commander is too concerned about honour and she wishes to leave this war with it intact. Honour does not matter to the dead and it does not matter to the Reapers. You are not concerned about your honour. You do whatever needs to be done. There may come a time when you will have to make a decision that she cannot but you must get rid of your weaknesses."

"My weaknesses?" Tristan repeated. She wasn't arrogant enough to think she was perfect or invulnerable but she had no idea which ones Javik was referring to or how she was supposed to get rid of them. It was hard to tell what Javik perceived as a weakness, besides being "primitive".

"Yes. You care too much about your family, Commander Shepard and this…Lieutenant Vega. The Reapers can use them against you and therefore you are vulnerable."

Ignoring that yet another person had realised she liked James, Tristan felt herself slowly becoming angry. "And how exactly would you suggest I do that? Completely cut them out of my life? Sever every relationship and become a hermit?"

The word 'hermit' confused Javik for a moment and under other circumstances, this would have been funny. "Only by-"

Tristan cut him off. "Has it ever occurred to you that these relationships are not weaknesses? The Reapers can use any number of things against any number of people. My friends and family give me a reason to fight. They give me a reason to not give up. If there is nothing in this universe worth fighting for then why bother fighting? If that's the case, then maybe I don't want to be invulnerable."

She stalked off angrily and headed straight for the elevator without waiting for Javik to respond. Her biotic energy was starting to flare because of her anger and she did not look forward to seeing the results of too much anger. There was no way that that conversation could have gone any worse and she doubted it would have gone better. Not unless Javik suddenly grew emotions. She seriously hoped that having him as part of the crew was actually a good thing. He was hardly a willing contributor in the information department as there was no new information regarding the Reapers, unless Liara was keeping it to herself which was unlikely. She definitely was not looking forward to going on a mission with him either.

The elevator descended into the Cargo Hold and Tristan marched out, still furious at Javik. How dare he assume that she could completely cut out her family! Who did he think he was, ordering her around like that? She knew that certain people would use those she cared about against her but she had always done whatever was necessary to protect them. Hell, she'd even made a deal with Jessica to keep as far away from the kids as possible to make sure they weren't caught in the crossfire. Besides, the Protheans were evidence to the contrary: there were no guarantees when it came to fighting the Reapers. The Protheans were the dominant race in their cycle and things didn't exactly turn out well. Tristan was in no hurry to follow Javik's advice…ever.

Lieutenant Cortez was still out with the shuttle. He tended to hang around in case the ground team needed a swift pick up and, on occasion, he would also attempt to draw away enemy reinforcements or try to offer more information that might help them. He went above and beyond the call of duty. James was standing by the weapons bench, examining the latest upgrades that Shepard had acquired either through missions or Cortez's contacts. Tristan was too distracted to notice anything else as she went straight into her quarters. As soon as she was inside, she started to pace. It was unusual for one person to get under her skin so easily and quickly but she couldn't get the conversation out of her head. Tristan couldn't even put a finger on why the conversation had annoyed her so much or why she was still so annoyed.

Relationships were generally regarded as dangerous in Black Ops – family, friends and lovers. There was always a chance that a friend could betray you or somehow involve themselves where they shouldn't which made them a liability. Family could always be used against you because family ties are harder to sever than any other. Lovers tended to make things blurry and make emotions run high which was not a good thing when working an assignment. These were the simplest reasons for Black Ops agents to avoid relationships and Tristan knew them very well. She had often lived by them and never questioned them. It was completely known to her that this was a weakness so why did it suddenly bother her so much now?

She stopped pacing mid-step when a thought suddenly occurred to her. Was it possible that she had already developed feelings for James that she hadn't realised she had? If this was true, maybe being told by someone that she should stay away from him was the real reason for her anger. This was the only conclusion. Her friendship with Shepard was never a concern because the Commander could take care of herself. Jessica, Kiera and Luca were also not in danger as they were with Admiral Hackett, working on the Crucible and Tristan limited her contact with them for various reasons but mostly to keep them from becoming a target. These relationships had never been an issue so that could only mean the newest relationship had caused the anger.

Tristan slowly sat down on her bed as she considered this. It was an unusual situation that she found herself in. For one, it couldn't be solved with violence or witty words. For another, she had absolutely no idea what to do. Tristan had never been good with people or forming relationships. Her friendship with Shepard had developed as a mutual need to survive. Kiera and Luca were constantly kept at arm's length so they never got to know the kind of person their aunt really was and they had no idea what she did for a living – only that she worked for the Alliance like their father. This thing with James…it was terrifying.

Maybe it wasn't anger but terror? Everyone who was noticing the chemistry between Tristan and James was only making it a reality for her. If Javik had noticed it and considered it just as much of a weakness as her relationship with Shepard…James must have been more important to her than she realised. Tristan collapsed backwards on her bed and groaned. How did things get so complicated? Or was she just making things so much harder than they really were? Suddenly, the idea of doing nothing suddenly didn't look like such a great idea anymore. Then again, it was the only thing she knew how to do. She grabbed a pillow and placed it over her face as she groaned again.

This was how Shepard found Tristan some time later. Tristan had no idea how much time passed when the Commander looked in her quarters. Shepard was still wearing her hardsuit and looked breathless. Her hardsuit was covered in a layer of dust, something that looked suspiciously like slime and something else that looked like webbing. Her mood was lighter than it had been before she went on the mission although there was some concern at her friend's odd appearance.

"Hey," Shepard greeted breathlessly, immediately noting Tristan sprawled across her bed.

Tristan removed her pillow from her face, placing it on her stomach, and turned her head to look at Shepard. "I see running around with violent Krogan is still as therapeutic as ever."

Shepard leant against the doorway and grinned. "Grunt was there. I didn't realise how much I missed his psychotic laugh or the way he tells me to move my ass."

Tristan sat up and stretched her arms, the pillow sliding into her lap. "And the Rachni?"

Shepard's smiled faltered for a second. "The Queen made a deal with the Reapers and bonded her children with tech. It isn't pretty and they're pretty destructive although there are a lot fewer left in the galaxy now."

"I suppose that explains the bug slime. What now?" Tristan asked.

"We're heading to Tuchanka. Mordin has nearly finished creating his cure for the genophage but there have also been reports of Reapers there. Wrex is getting restless. I'm not sure what to expect."

"Explosions?" Tristan suggested. "Big guns. A lot of killing. And that's just from the Krogan."

Shepard smirked and gestured at the bed. "What's with the depressed teenager deal?"

Tristan shrugged. "Teenager problems."

"Ah," Shepard replied with a self-satisfied smirk. "You're thinking about James."

Tristan fought to keep her composure. "No comment. And I spoke with Javik like you asked."

"I'm guessing there was no hair braiding?"

Tristan scoffed. "Understatement. I'm going to assume that EDI told you."

"Yeah," Shepard answered. "And don't think I don't know a change of topic when it happens."

Tristan smiled. "Don't you have some commander stuff to do?"

Shepard smirked. "Don't think I'll forget about this." She turned around to leave and then looked over her shoulder. "You may want to fix your hair, just by the way."

With that, she left. Tristan stared after her in confusion and absently patted her hair down again. After a moment, she collapsed back on her bed and closed her eyes. There was nothing for her to do at the moment other than wait until they got to Tuchanka. Or wait until Shepard wanted to bring this topic up again. The thought was not comforting and Tristan placed the pillow over her head again.


	14. Cannon Fodder

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**Chapter 14: Cannon Fodder**

A soft beeping broke the silence. Tristan absently reached out with her right arm to put a stop to it and was quite confused when her hand landed on nothing. It then occurred to her that she didn't actually own an alarm clock. That was what EDI was for, after all. This confusion was enough to wake her up so she could figure out what was going on. Apparently, she had fallen asleep with the pillow still over her head and the beeping was actually coming from her computer terminal. Given the options why it could be making that particular sound, Tristan decided it was worth investigating immediately and tossed the pillow to the side.

The computer was alerting her to the arrival of information that had been marked "Classified" and "Urgent". Curiously, she opened the message and was quite surprised. It had been forwarded by Black Ops HQ due to the _Normandy_'s mission to Tuchanka and their close proximity to the planet. Sensors in the area and around the planet – probably Krogan or Turian sensors which had been "borrowed" by Black Ops – had picked up some weird readings and signals. Upon closer inspection, the readings were vaguely familiar and heavily encrypted. Of course they were so the question became: why was Cerberus on Tuchanka? There was nothing for the terrorist organisation on this planet. Krogan weren't exactly known for playing nice so any trade deals were unlikely.

Tristan quickly brought up her decryption program. Luckily, it had recorded and adapted the encryption key from the previous Cerberus data that led them to Eden Prime so this one was fairly quick to decrypt. It was really strange that Cerberus was getting so sloppy and reusing the same encryption again. They rarely used the same things twice. Tristan suspected this was because they were divided into various cells with their own objectives so it made sense that things would be run differently, depending on the cell leader. Even so, it didn't feel right and it wasn't likely that the _Normandy_ had stumbled on the same cell twice. Perhaps the Illusive Man was losing his touch? Maybe the Reapers were throwing him off his game? Was he running out of resources? Rather than speculate, Tristan focused on the information and tried to make sense of it.

_::Agent Chase, Shepard has requested a crew meeting-::_

"Yeah, yeah," Tristan waved off the AI without really listening to a word she said. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

The data couldn't be right. But if it was…Cerberus was on Tuchanka and had apparently made a lot of effort to capture an old military installation. Tristan used her high level security clearance and brought up any information the Alliance had on this old installation which wasn't much. It looked like it had guns and judging from the size and energy needed to power it, the gun could easily take out a large ship in space. This was something they did not want in Cerberus hands whether or not it worked. Then again, the Krogan did tend to make things to last. They weren't pretty but they got the job done, usually with large explosions and massive destruction. If Tristan had to guess, this sounded like Cerberus' attempt to keep Shepard from delivering the cure for the genophage which would lead to the Krogan pulling out of the Alliance. The _Normandy_ needed to take the gun away from them.

Tristan transferred the information to her omni-tool and forwarded it to Alliance Command and Black Ops HQ. Then she quickly redid her hair into a neater ponytail. It suddenly occurred to her that EDI had delivered a message and had mentioned something about a crew meeting. If only she had listened to the part as to where it was being held. Well, there were only a few places on the _Normandy_ to go. Tristan exited her quarters and was quite surprised to find the crew meeting was taking place near Lieutenant Cortez's station. Everyone was there in their casual clothes, aside from Javik. This last detail made Tristan more relieved than she expected. It also looked like they had started without her and hadn't noticed her either.

Tristan walked straight over. "Shepard, we have a problem."

Silence followed her words as everyone looked up in surprise. Shepard looked like she was fighting a battle between curiosity and irritation. Tristan had a tendency to blow off things she felt were unimportant and she wasn't surprised to find that Shepard thought this was one of those times, especially considering Tristan had proved that even despite being the people person half of the XO, she only dealt with the crew members when she had to, aside from a handful of exceptions.

"You mean, other than you choosing sleep over a vital crew meeting?"

"I wasn't sleeping," Tristan replied, mildly offended. "HQ forwarded some urgent and classified information to me. I was in the process of decrypting it when EDI delivered your message. I was…distracted. You need to hear what I found before this (she vaguely gestured around them) continues."

Shepard finally settled on curiosity and folded her arms in front of her chest. "All right. Let's hear it."

"Cerberus is on Tuchanka," Tristan explained and ignored the incredulous looks around the room. "They've captured a military installation which we really don't want in their hands. It may be an attempt to stop you or to start a war with the Krogan. Either way, it isn't good."

This surprised them all. No one had expected Cerberus to be on Tuchanka. Even Liara had been caught off guard. Tristan couldn't help but wonder what it was Liara actually did as the Shadow Broker at the moment, aside from agonising over the Crucible and write up a list of questions to pester Javik with.

"Are you sure?" the Asari asked.

Tristan bit back a sarcastic reply. She really hated her work being questioned. Sure, she was a loose cannon who pulled crazy stunts and didn't like people telling her what to do but she was _extremely_ good at her job otherwise HQ wouldn't put up with her or allow her to continue to operate in the field.

"I wouldn't have brought this to Shepard if I wasn't sure," Tristan replied in an even tone. It was enough to make Liara's cheeks flush slightly.

Shepard was very quiet but she chose that moment to intervene. "This raises a few problems, indeed. Primarch Victus asked us to handle a delicate matter on Tuchanka and he doesn't want the Krogan to find out."

"That explains why we're meeting down here," James realised.

Shepard nodded. "I didn't want Wrex accidently overhearing something. The situation is far too delicate for careless mistakes…or Cerberus getting involved. Tensions are high enough as things stand and will only rise as soon as Wrex catches wind of the Turian soldiers on Tuchanka. They need to be resolved as quickly as possible."

"What's the plan?" Garrus asked. "We need to do this mission for Victus but we can't leave Cerberus in control of that installation."

"Agreed," Shepard decided. "But they are both time sensitive missions. If we don't act now, it'll end badly, one way or another."

Shepard descended into silent thought again. Tristan glanced around at the others. Despite her earlier relief, she still wondered why Javik wasn't present. He was still a member of the crew and he was itching for a fight. His biotics would also be useful. This would provide him with an opportunity to get rid of some of that bloodlust.

"Where's tall, dark and broody?" Tristan asked.

Shepard smirked in amusement, as did James and Garrus. "Javik is still in his quarters. I want him to adjust to this time and also to accept that he is the last Prothean otherwise he'll be distracted and a distracted soldier is a dead soldier. I'm also hoping he'll get used to the idea of taking orders from an 'inferior' species before I take him on a ground mission. Traynor is in charge of babysitting so you're off the hook."

Tristan sighed in relief. "Good. I'd really hate to break your ship, Nads."

Shepard snorted and then sobered. "Time isn't exactly on our side but both of these missions have to be completed as soon as possible. The only way we could do this is if we split into two ground teams. Cortez will certainly earn his pay check while on Tuchanka."

That was unexpected. None of them had ever performed a mission without Shepard's leadership since the beginning of the Reaper invasion. It was just something they all accepted and had grown accustomed to. It made sense though. Shepard couldn't be in two places at once but her crew could.

"I'll take Garrus and Liara to do Victus' super-secret mission. Tristan, you'll take EDI and James to deal with Cerberus," she ordered. "That way, the squads are balanced and we should be prepared for anything."

Tristan stared at her, speechless for a few moments. "You want me to lead?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You are my XO _and_ you discovered Cerberus' plans. It makes sense to me. Just…stay away from skycars."

The last time Tristan had been in charge of something – in this case, an escape plan – things had ended badly and Shepard obviously wanted to avoid similar results. Tristan couldn't see how it could happen again considering they had been teenagers at the time – Shepard had been 17 while Tristan was 13. They had both learned a lot since then, such as how to drive. Besides, it was unlikely that skycars would be the Krogan's preferred choice of transportation.

"It's not my fault we crashed," Tristan argued defensively.

Shepard was mildly offended. "It was your idea to steal it in the first place."

"You told me you knew how to drive."

Shepard folded her arms in front of her chest. "And you were the one who pissed off the gangsters who then proceeded to chase us with weapons, leaving the skycar as our only way to escape. Or did you forget you led us into a dead end?"

Tristan raised a finger to argue back and then smirked. "Oh yeah."

Shepard shook her head in exasperation and ignored the mix of amused and confused expressions from the others. "I'll inform Admiral Hackett of the new mission and the way we're doing it. Everyone, grab your gear and be ready to go."

With the crew meeting dismissed, everyone headed towards their quarters to grab their armour. Tristan headed to her office and quickly put on her hardsuit. Her mind was still reeling from Shepard's order. Leading a ground mission…well, it wasn't something she had ever anticipated. Black Ops agents weren't really leaders as they tended to work solo so she didn't have much experience doing it. Perhaps she had observed enough to make sure no one got killed? She could only hope so. And she didn't miss the fact that Shepard had placed EDI under her command. Shepard was probably attempting to get them to work together and to get Tristan to move past the whole "she was created by Cerberus" thing.

Tristan checked her guns and then holstered them. For a moment, she considered bringing her sniper rifle along and then decided against it. The terrain was likely going to be uneven and she didn't want to be weighed down. She spent a few more minutes making sure all of her gear was in good condition and that she had everything she needed. With Lieutenant Cortez being needed by two teams in two different locations, they couldn't afford to make careless mistakes. As soon as she was satisfied, she left her quarters. Shepard was already going over everything with Cortez. James was also ready to go and he was casually leaning against his workbench. Garrus, Liara and EDI had not returned yet. When Shepard noticed her, she waved her over.

"Steve will drop my team off first," Shepard explained. "And then he'll take you to your LZ. I'm hoping your mission will be quicker than ours so he'll hang around you. Beyond that, any planning will probably get tossed out the window."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know what Victus wants you to do?"

Shepard shrugged. "Not really but that's one of the perks of being a Spectre: people tend to avoid details."

"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?" Tristan asked innocently.

Shepard smiled in response but otherwise said nothing. Garrus, Liara and EDI returned a few minutes later and got their guns ready. Once they were all satisfied that they were prepared for their missions, everyone climbed into the shuttle and they were soon on their way. Tristan and Shepard took a standing position just behind the cockpit so they could approach Lieutenant Cortez quickly, if need be, and they could also see out the front window. Liara, EDI and Garrus had decided to sit down while James remained standing. Tristan's attention was focused on a single spot on the shuttle's floor, a thousand thoughts passing through her mind, mostly centring on how this mission could go wrong.

Leadership was not a quality that Tristan had been praised for and she couldn't stop the doubt. She wasn't exactly worried about injuring EDI considering her cyborg body was pretty much indestructible. But what about James? He was a soldier and he could definitely take care of himself. This wasn't the problem. Tristan's concern was that she might order him to do something that would get him injured. It wasn't all that long ago that she had been willing to let Agent Wilcox take a bullet while she completed the objective, a voice in the back of her mind reasoned. Why was this any different? That was an excellent question. The more she thought about it, the more she realised it had nothing to do with her feelings for James. She couldn't imagine putting anyone else – except maybe Javik – in such a volatile situation.

Was it possible that Tristan regarded them as her friends? Or was this a component of leadership she had missed entirely? Then again, the answer could be simple. Shepard had an effect on her crew and helped them to form a cohesive unit when others wouldn't even bother trying. Under her leadership, a Krogan and a Turian had actually become friends. Then it could be possible that Shepard's influence was causing Tristan to be…social. And Tristan also had very few opportunities to make friends. This was the longest posting in her entire career. Hell, one month into being Admiral Anderson's XO was the longest she had ever been in one place, not taking shore leave into account.

The shuttle jerked suddenly and brought Tristan back to the present. When she looked up, she found Shepard watching her very closely.

"What?" Tristan asked carefully.

Shepard shrugged. "You make me nervous when you're quiet."

"I was just…thinking," she replied. "And I think I have this whole leading thing down."

Shepard arched an eyebrow. "Oh? How do you figure that?"

"WWSD," Tristan answered with a smirk and was quite amused when Shepard frowned. "What would Shepard do?"

Shepard smiled and shook her head in disbelief. "Suddenly, I prefer it when you're quiet."

Tristan's smirk became more amused but this amusement was short-lived. The surface of Tuchanka was just below the shuttle and there were deep grooves in the ground. Pieces of debris had been scattered everywhere but there weren't any visible Turians or their fighters. They must have crashed further in. Shepard had changed her position so she could get a better look at what they were going to be facing shortly and her expression was not impressed.

"This crash site is a nightmare," Shepard remarked softly.

Tristan wanted to ask when she had ever found a crash site that wasn't a nightmare. At the last second, she decided to hold her tongue. This was neither the time nor the place and Shepard probably wouldn't hear the comment anyway considering she was already planning her course of action.

"EDI, can you reach Lieutenant Victus?" Shepard suddenly asked.

"One moment, Shepard," the AI responded from her seat. "I am having difficulty reaching him. There is Reaper interference. I may be able to establish a connection once you are closer."

Garrus got to his feet and walked over. "For a Turian commander, what happened here is…let's just say the Turian code isn't forgiving. And that it's his son is bad for the Primarch. Promoting family without merit can bite you in the ass."

"So…what?" Tristan asked. "Your mission is to help the Primarch cover his ass?"

"I don't think so," Garrus answered. "Victus knows the Turian military. He knows better."

Shepard remained silent for a second more. "If Victus promoted his son for a good reason then there must be more to this than political ass covering. Let's keep an open mind until we get our boots on the ground."

"Commander, I have to land well back from the main crash site," Lieutenant Cortez called from the cockpit. "The Reapers seem unaware of our presence. You might be able to surprise them."

Shepard nodded. "All right. Set her down and we'll go save this platoon."

The shuttle descended slowly and once they were low enough, Garrus, Liara and Shepard jumped down. They immediately put their heads down and headed into the chaos ahead of them. Cortez remained just long enough to make sure Shepard and her team were all right before heading off towards the next LZ.

"Agent Chase, I have Admiral Hackett for you," Cortez said over his shoulder.

Tristan headed into the cockpit and stood just behind Cortez's chair so she could clearly see the monitor. Admiral Hackett's face was already on the screen and his expression softened for a second. He was relieved to see she was doing all right and she felt the same way. Admiral Hackett was the closest thing she had to a father and she was the closest thing he had to a daughter. He quickly returned to his Alliance Officer stance.

"_Agent Chase, Commander Shepard informed me that you will be handling this mission. We've reviewed your data and investigated the matter further. Cerberus is landing forces away from the Tuchanka battlefields. You confirmed that their target is a ground-to-space cannon facility that hasn't been used since the Krogan rebellions. The site has no obvious military advantage and the Krogan are spread too thin to deal with it,"_ Admiral Hackett explained.

"Do we have any idea what Cerberus is doing there?" Tristan asked.

"_No but we do know that Cerberus doesn't act without a plan_," Hackett replied. _"Get in there and stop them. And find out what they're up to while you're at it."_

"It will be done," Tristan confirmed.

There was a hint of a 'good luck' smile on his expression. _"See that you do. Hackett out."_

Tristan stared at the black screen for a moment. Cerberus wouldn't be interested in a facility that hadn't been used in such a long time if they didn't have a plan for it. There was no guarantee that this ground-to-space cannon even worked which meant Cerberus probably knew something that the Alliance and Krogan didn't which was disconcerting. Even if they got the cannon to work, who would their target be? The Krogan or the Alliance? Probably both. If Shepard managed to cure the genophage, then the Krogan would become a force to be reckoned with and Cerberus wouldn't like that. The shuttle flew past the large cannon just as it fired and the noise was deafening. It was also a very bad sign.

"It looks like Cerberus got that cannon operational," Cortez remarked.

Tristan sighed. "Fantastic. If there's something we don't want them to do, they find a way to do it anyway."

Cortez angled the shuttle towards an area big enough to land in and James and EDI immediately jumped out to secure the area. Going on so many ground missions had led the team to develop certain habits and some orders did not need to be spoken.

"I'll go back up there and get a read on what they're shooting at," Cortez offered.

"Good. Just watch yourself," Tristan ordered. "Otherwise Shepard will kill me."

Cortez smiled and nodded his head. Tristan followed the others and drew her submachine gun. As soon as she was safely on the ground, the shuttle turned around and left. The facility looked mostly abandoned. The walls had collapsed in some areas and large pieces of rock were scattered around. It was quiet, for the time being, which meant that Cerberus didn't know they were here yet. That was about to change pretty soon.

"First order of business: we have to find the control room for the cannon," Tristan ordered. "If Cerberus tries to stop us, kill them."

"Don't you mean 'when'?" James asked.

Tristan smiled. "I'm trying to be optimistic here."

James returned her smile and she pushed forward, using a wall for cover. At the moment, they knew nothing about the layout of the facility (although Tristan had examined the blueprints, they were extremely outdated and didn't take the destruction into account) or where Cerberus had stationed their soldiers. It was best to remain on the side of caution for the time being. Once Tristan reached the edge of the wall, she peeked around its edge. There were Cerberus soldiers everywhere. They must want this cannon pretty badly. Tristan retreated behind the wall again and used hand signals, just to be safe.

She explained that there were quite a few soldiers up ahead. James and EDI needed to hold their fire for a few moments so Tristan could use her biotics as a surprise attack. If that went well, it would keep a few soldiers off balance and give them a slight advantage. In reply, James and EDI prepared their guns. Once they were ready, they nodded their heads and James held up one of his frag grenades. Tristan smiled and nodded her head once. She liked the way he thought. Tristan carefully peered around the wall again, looking for her target. Her eyes fell on one of the soldiers with a shield. She enveloped him in blue biotic energy and before anyone could react, she pulled him into the closest grouping of soldiers, knocking them all off their feet.

The moment they were a jumbled mess, James leant around her and tossed his frag grenade into the middle of the chaos. They both returned behind the wall, just as it exploded and EDI immediately opened fire. Tristan rolled behind a low piece of rock that may have been a column at some point and used it as cover. Even though James' frag grenade killed quite few soldiers, there were still more that had quickly retreated behind cover and had started to return fire. Tristan tried her best to scan the area for easy targets to pick off but that was easier said than done. The cover Cerberus was using was much larger and more durable than she had seen in a while.

There wasn't much that could be turned into an improvised weapon or anything that could help to even the odds. This was annoying. Cerberus had the superior cover and more knowledge about the layout of the area. Tristan had her biotics, James' grenades and EDI. She suddenly realised that despite her original feelings about EDI's new body, it presented them with a unique opportunity. The last thing Cerberus expected was to have EDI on the ground with them, let alone using a body that they had created. Even if they did know this, they had no idea what EDI was capable of. The crew of the _Normandy_ sure didn't.

"EDI, decoy," Tristan ordered over her radio.

"_Acknowledged_," was the reply.

A holographic double of EDI appeared out in the open and it looked like a target. Cerberus obviously agreed as they repositioned their men to get a better shot. This gave Tristan and James a chance to find better cover. Cerberus opened fire on EDI's double and quickly realised they had been tricked. They also had left themselves vulnerable and they scurried to get superior positioning once again. Tristan used her biotics to Throw a few soldiers around and EDI finished them. James used his shotgun to kill any he could and then threw a frag grenade behind a large piece of rock that they knew Cerberus was using for cover. Besides the cannon firing, there was silence.

Tristan slowly got to her feet and kept her gun at the ready. When no one shot her, she nodded to the others. They followed her lead as she walked towards Cerberus' cover to make sure everyone was dead. Once it was obvious that the coast was clear, they all relaxed but they did not holster their weapons, just in case. It was reasonable to assume that Cerberus would send some reinforcements, considering all the trouble they went through to get the cannon to work again. Tristan cast a final look around the area and then turned to EDI.

"Any ideas where the control room would be?" she asked.

EDI was silent for a moment. "I detect large energy readings from the building."

EDI pointed in the direction and Tristan and James both looked at it. It didn't exactly look impressive but it was still worth investigating.

_::Agent Chase, I have a visual on an inbound Cerberus cruiser. The cannon fire is clearing the way. If that ship makes it to bombardment range, the Krogan resistance is in trouble.::_

"Copy that, Lieutenant. We'll take care of the cannon," Tristan replied. "You keep track of the cruiser."

_::On it.::_

Tristan led the way towards the control room, using her gun to clear corners and any cover that Cerberus might be hiding behind, just like she had been trained. It felt odd to rely on this training in a warzone but she didn't want to stumble onto any surprised that could get James or EDI shot. They hurried up the small ramp and quickly cleared the room. Their ambush must have been more effective than they realised. Cerberus hadn't had a chance to fall back and secure this room. There were a few computer terminals and Tristan ordered EDI to investigate while she and James guarded the doors.

"Perhaps we should test just how effective this cannon is," Tristan mused.

EDI had found the correct the terminal and was just about to push buttons when the whole room went dark. Cerberus must have called in reinforcements.

"They're pulling the plug," James remarked in annoyance.

Tristan sighed in annoyance. "Why can't they just give up? We're going to beat them anyway. EDI, do you have a location on the power switches?"

"Yes, Agent Chase. Inside the building opposite the control room," the AI answered.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? Inside the building where we were dropped off?" She blew her fringe out of her eyes irritably. "At least we know why Krogan don't have a reputation for being architects. Let's go."

She headed out the door and had to jump backwards to avoid getting shot. A shuttle had just dropped off a few more Cerberus soldiers on the metal beams that ran high above their heads. EDI and James took cover by the huge windows – well, they were more like huge openings in the wall without any glass so it was close enough – and started to lay down some suppressing fire, killing a few soldiers in the process. Tristan had to admit: Shepard ran a tight ship and she was relieved that there wasn't too much pressure on her to deliver orders every step of the way. Tristan peered out the door and found the soldiers were still on the beams.

She sent a Warp at the first soldier and then ducked back behind cover as bullets pelted the wall. This gave EDI the opening to kill another one. There were only two more soldiers left so high up and Tristan decided to push her biotics a bit. Rather than just Throw them off one at a time, she was going to send a wave of energy at them to knock them off. Biotics weren't usually encouraged to send energy at more than one target but Tristan had done this before…just not with so much distance between them. She grit her teeth and sent the wave of energy at the soldiers. They were easily knocked off and fell to the ground where they were promptly executed. Tristan was dizzy for a moment or two from the exertion but the feeling quickly passed and she was ready to go.

They pushed forward using whatever cover they could when they needed it. There wasn't time to handle the matter more delicately because every second, the Cerberus cruiser got closer. While Tristan guessed that Shepard might be able to smooth out the situation if it went horribly wrong, she wanted to avoid upsetting an entire planet of Krogan and she didn't fail a mission, ever. Cerberus was putting up little resistance out in the open but they had grouped around the power switches, probably hoping that their numbers would be overwhelming and would prevent anyone from coming near. Unfortunately for them, they had noticed that the collapsed parts of the building provided ample cover for Tristan, James and EDI.

Tristan knelt behind a large chunk of pillar and weighed her options. They could run in, guns blazing, and most likely get pinned down with little room for manoeuvrability. Or, she could stay where she was and attract the attention of the Cerberus soldiers. This would allow EDI and James to flank them and find a position where they would be most effective. Shotguns weren't very useful at long range and Tristan could send her biotics around corners. The same couldn't be said about bullets. Tristan used quick hand motions to communicate her orders and as soon as they were confirmed, she sent a Warp over a large rock and heard the surprised grunt coming from its victim.

James and EDI used this minor distraction and headed around the left side of the building, close to the landing zone. Tristan continued to lay down supressing fire and sent a few Warps and Throws into the mix to keep Cerberus off balance until the other two were in position. A shotgun and another pistol soon joined the fray. James even tossed another frag grenade at them. It was quite a successful ambush, all things considered, and EDI soon gave the all clear. Tristan approached and admired their handiwork. They made their way over to the power switches and Tristan used her M-3 Predator to break the locks while EDI reactivated the power.

_::We're cutting it close, Agent Chase.::_

Tristan gave the hand signal to head back to the main console. "Don't we always? The power has been rerouted to the main console and we're heading back now. Shouldn't be too much longer, unless Cerberus sends more reinforcements."

They carefully jogged back to the room with the console, making sure they kept an eye out for more Cerberus soldiers. It looked clear and Tristan really hoped that Cerberus had taken the hint. They managed to get into the room without another problem and Tristan immediately ordered EDI to go over to the console. James took up position by the main door to make sure Cerberus didn't try a more stealthy attack this time and Tristan hovered behind EDI, keeping an eye on the back passageways just in case there was an ambush.

_::Agent Chase, the cruiser is initiating bombardment.::_

"Copy, Lieutenant. We've gained control of the cannon and the targeting systems are active," Tristan replied. "Send the coordinates to EDI."

_::The coordinates have been sent.::_

"Initiating fire," EDI remarked as her metallic fingers glided over the console.

The cannon fired its first shot and once again, the sound was deafening. Tristan's teeth rattled and it took a moment for normal sound to return to the world.

_::Direct starboard hit. Target breaking up. Repeat: direct hit.::_

"That's what I'm talking about!" James said triumphantly.

Tristan smirked at James' enthusiasm. "Good work, everyone. We'll meet you at the rendezvous point."

_::I'm on way.::_

It wasn't long until they were back on board the shuttle. Tristan was about to ask if Shepard had made contact yet when her voice filled the shuttle and she did not sound happy. When Shepard boarded, looking tired and unimpressed, Tristan gave her a curious look. Liara and Garrus looked just as tired and maybe a little bit unsettled.

"There's a Cerberus bomb on Tuchanka," Shepard explained as they headed back to the _Normandy_. "Lieutenant Victus was sent to disarm it."

Tristan frowned as an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Something about this just didn't feel right. As much as she wanted to blame everything on Cerberus, listening to her gut feeling and her instincts had saved her life on many occasions.

"What?" Shepard asked when she noticed the frown.

"I don't know," Tristan answered honestly. "Something just doesn't feel right about it. I mean, if Cerberus had a bomb, then there's no reason for Victus to hide it from Wrex. They have no reason to protect Cerberus. And Cerberus isn't known for restraint. They've had enough time to detonate the bomb so why haven't they? There's only Krogan, a handful of Turians and us on this planet. I'm pretty sure we're all on their 'to kill' list."

Shepard thought about this and then shook her head slowly. "I hate it when you make sense, Tristan. It is a bit suspicious. I don't think Victus told us everything. Maybe Hackett can offer some more insight or possibly confirm this is a Cerberus bomb."

"It is unlikely that something from Cerberus would remain undetected by the Alliance. They've dedicated a lot of manpower to stopping them and pre-empting their plans," Tristan agreed.

Shepard sighed quietly. "One of these days, at least one mission will be straightforward."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Tristan replied with a sympathetic smile. "Nothing is ever as simple as it seems."


	15. Tuchanka

**Sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Maybe the length will make up for the wait. Please, please, please review. One reason why I haven't been working on this much is because I feel like people aren't appreciating this story as I get 1 review every now and then. I'd love to hear feedback and the more reviews I get, the more incentive I have to write.**

**In other news, if you read **_**Ghost from the Past**_** and enjoyed it, please head over to my profile and take part in my poll. I love Joker and James Vega so I can't decide which romantic interest is best for Sid so I'm leaving it up to you lovely readers.**

**Thanks and enjoy!**

**Chapter 15 Tuchanka**

Tensions were running high on the _Normandy_. Wrex had discovered what the Turians were up to and just as Tristan had guessed, the bomb was not of Cerberus origin but rather had been made by the Turians. Victus' son had died during the mission and while Victus had pure intentions in keeping it secret, it had an adverse effect. Wrex was furious that a bomb on his homeworld had been kept from him, even though his own secret mission could have impacted the galaxy on a huge scale. Victus was still trying to deal with his son's sacrifice and Shepard had no idea whether she could trust Victus or if he was a politician just like the rest of them.

Tristan kept her opinion to herself. There had been many instances where she had told half-truths and allowed the other party to infer what they would. She could understand why Victus had done it but she also understood why Shepard was so torn about trust. Tristan's past missions had never been a part of something that could shape the galaxy for the next thousands of years whereas every decision Shepard made would, including an alliance between the Turians and the Krogan. This alliance all started with Shepard and therefore, no one else could make the decisions for her. Just to add to the tension, they were also nearing Tuchanka. Dr Solus had nearly finished creating the cure for the genophage and the finishing touches could only be completed once they had decided on a means to get the cure to the Krogan. Individual injections would take too much time and there weren't many other options that were open to them.

As she left her quarters, Tristan's thoughts drifted towards the upcoming mission on Tuchanka. Wrex had already mentioned that there was a Reaper presence multiple times which meant things were going to be difficult. Every mission, as a matter of fact, would only become more dangerous and more difficult as the Reapers continued to grow in strength and Cerberus became more desperate to stop the crew of the _Normandy_. They would need some way to improve their chances but Tristan couldn't exactly pull a few favours to get prototype technology that had been designed for Black Ops now. She needed to be on the Citadel for that and they would be on Tuchanka in a matter of hours.

The best thing she could do now would be to improve her weapons. Her M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol and M-4 Shuriken submachine gun had served her well but they weren't exactly known for their damage, only their reliability. Shepard had done a good job of collecting new weapons and weapon upgrades in her missions and until now, Tristan hadn't spared them a second glance. It was time to rethink this approach. She headed towards the weapons bench in the corner next to the elevator and decided to investigate the vast collection, paying little attention to the assault rifles and shotguns. It really was quite the impressive collection and Shepard wanted every member of the ground team to have the best possible weapons.

"Looking for something in particular?" a voice asked behind her.

Tristan glanced over her shoulder and wasn't surprised to find James standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He was the arms master of the _Normandy SR-2_, after all and he loved guns. He preferred things that exploded though. Not many people could get the drop on her like that, even for a few moments, so she didn't answer his question immediately.

"How long have you been there?" she asked and picked up a heavy pistol experimentally.

"A few minutes," he answered casually. "I was enjoying the show."

Tristan snorted in amusement and put the gun down again. "It must have been a pretty boring show."

"I don't know," he disagreed easily and she could just picture him smirking. "It depends on your view."

"Careful, Vega. You might make me blush," she replied as she turned to face him.

Sure enough, he was smirking and he looked very amused. "Is that a challenge?"

"Not at all," she replied with a smirk of her own. "That implies you have a chance of doing it." Before he could respond, she turned around to look at the guns again. "I want to get better guns. The way I figure it, the fight's only going to get tougher so I may as well get some guns that can pack a serious punch. The Predator and Shuriken aren't quite known for that."

"I'm surprised you waited this long," he remarked thoughtfully. "Ever consider using a shotgun?"

Tristan shrugged. "When was the last time you saw a biotic with a shotgun?"

"Fair point," he agreed and walked forward so he was standing next to her.

"Besides," she added. "The recoil's a bitch."

James chuckled. "That it is."

They spent some time comparing weapons. James proved to be pretty knowledgeable about almost every gun and he offered a lot of good advice. Tristan was pretty impressed as he was able to list quite a few pros and cons about each gun, even the recently acquired ones. For every gun, he made sure she tested the weight and grip to make sure it was a good fit for her. He even helped her pick out upgrades that would best suit her fighting style as well as the guns. By the time they were finished, Tristan had a M-77 Paladin Heavy Pistol with the Pistol Magazine Upgrade and the Pistol Piercing Mod; the N7 Hurricane submachine gun with the SMG Magazine Upgrade and the SMG Ultralight materials along with the M-97 Viper sniper rifle with the Sniper Rifle Enhanced Scope and Sniper Rifle Extended Barrel upgrades.

"If being a Marine doesn't work out, you could always become a gun salesman," Tristan remarked as she examined the Paladin closely.

James chuckled again. "All a guy needs is knowledge about guns to impress you?"

"I never said I was impressed," she replied with a small smile.

"Then why was there all those looks of awe and admiration?" he mock challenged.

"Because," she replied and took a step closer to him so they were standing quite closer together. "…your imagination is working overtime." She took a step back and was surprised to hear Lieutenant Cortez quietly laughing to himself nearby. She had forgotten he could hear everything they said and nearly felt embarrassed until she remembered Cortez had probably heard worse things from James and Shepard. James looked slightly disappointed when she stepped away again and she felt slightly pleased. After her conversation with Shepard, she took this as a hint that he perhaps felt the same way.

_::Tristan, get your ass up to the War Room ASAP.::_

She raised an eyebrow at the tone of the order and exchanged a confused look with James. Shepard's tone could mean one of two things: either Tristan was in trouble for some prank she couldn't remember pulling or there was an unforeseen problem that needed to be dealt with immediately as they couldn't afford to waste any time.

"I'm on my way," Tristan called out.

_::Good and remember to be on your best behaviour.::_

"I take offence to that," she muttered under her breath and then turned to James. "Well, duty calls. Thanks for the help."

"It was my pleasure," he answered with a smile.

Tristan rode the elevator up to the CIC and made her way to the War Room. By the time she got there, everyone else had already arrived. Shepard, Dr Solus, Urdnot Wrex and Primarch Victus surrounded the centre console and were examining a holographic image of a Reaper. Dr Solus was talking about it, something about using the Shroud to poison the atmosphere. It certainly didn't sound good and it was an effective way to destroy a planet. Apparently, the Reapers wanted the Krogan dead and not as future minions. They had so far encountered Cannibals, Husks, Marauders, Brutes and Ravagers yet Krogan weren't on the list. It was both a surprise and a relief. Tristan walked over and stood beside Shepard.

"They want a fight? They just got one," Wrex remarked threateningly.

"We're considering a head on fight with a Reaper?" Tristan asked incredulously. "This ought to be interesting."

Shepard smiled briefly. "Primarch, we're going to need your help."

Primarch Victus hesitated. "That could be difficult. Our losses on Palaven have been catastrophic."

"We're doing this for Palaven," Shepard reminded him. "No one said this would be easy."

Victus walked closer to the console. "What do you have in mind?"

"An excellent question," Tristan decided. "Most plans of attack against the Reapers have proved…ineffective."

"Indeed," Dr Solus agreed. "Chances of success low."

Tristan gave him a sideways glance. "Well, that was…blunt."

Shepard ignored them both and activated the console so it would demonstrate her plan. "A combined attack. Your people hit the Reaper with an airstrike. Wrex, at the same time, your soldiers will be attacking from the ground. Together, we can draw it away from the tower."

It wasn't a bad plan. The focus was on getting it away from the Shroud and not defeat although that would be an unexpected benefit.

"A distraction," Dr Solus said. "Small team can reach Shroud facility, finish synthesizing cure. Will need Eve to come with us."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tristan asked. "Putting Eve in the middle of this seems…risky."

"Is a necessary risk," Dr Solus answered. "Need her to finish cure. Can't finish cure until we reach Shroud."

"We can protect her," Wrex added with a grunt.

Tristan raised her hands in surrender. "Got it. I just wanted to make sure."

"We've never fought a Reaper up close like this," Shepard continued. "Everyone on board?"

"There's even a doubt?" Wrex demanded. "Let's move, pyjak. It's time to cure the genophage."

With that, the mission briefing was adjourned. Wrex marched off with a purpose, Dr Solus trailing behind him on his omni-tool. Primarch Victus headed towards a nearby console so he could relay his orders to his people. Tristan watched them leave and then looked back at the map.

"Pyjak?" she asked.

Shepard shrugged. "Wrex doesn't trust Mordin. Pyjak is the least offensive word I've heard him use as far as Salarians are concerned."

Tristan smiled and then indicated the holographic display. "You think this is going to work?"

"If things go according to plan, I think we'll have a chance," Shepard answered carefully.

"But when do things ever go according to plan?"

Shepard smiled. "Let's hope this time does."

_::Commander, incoming message marked urgent. I'll put it in the comm room for you.::_

"Thanks, Traynor," Shepard replied and then turned to Tristan. "We can't afford to let anything happen to Eve or let ourselves get swarmed by Reaper forces. Gear up and tell James, Garrus and Javik to get ready too."

Tristan could sense the urgency of these orders and decided it was best not to argue about bringing Javik. "Aye, aye, Commander."

Shepard smiled and headed off to take her super-secret urgent call. Tristan used her omni-tool to pass along the orders as she made her way back down towards the Cargo Hold. Despite her personal feelings about Javik, she had to admit she was curious about his abilities as long as they weren't directed at her. Since leaving Earth, Tristan had mastered putting her hardsuit on and preparing her weapons in the shortest possible amount of time so she was ready within minutes and was casually leaning against the shuttle next to Lieutenant Cortez while they waited for Shepard. The others had already arrived and were in various states of readiness.

"You really don't like him, huh?" Cortez asked when he noticed her watching Javik suspiciously.

She shrugged. "I guess that's a polite way of putting it."

"Because he blasted you with biotic energy within seconds of meeting him?"

"Nah, that's a pretty standard greeting in my line of work," she replied.

Cortez chuckled. "I see it now."

Tristan looked to the shuttle pilot with a confused frown. "See what?"

"Why you two get along so well."

She didn't have to ask to know that he meant James and she could also tell that wasn't his only meaning. The unspoken words 'and why he likes you' were written all over Steve's face. "Well, I am hilarious."

Steve chuckled again. "And very modest."

She shared his smile. It was nice to see him happy and joking instead of all work and gloom. Shepard had a way with crew members and if the rumours were right, Steve had been lifted up so much he even put word out to some of his old pilot friends and put them in contact with Admiral Hackett. Pilots were sorely needed by the Alliance at the moment and it was lucky that Steve had convinced them to join the fight. Tristan returned to watching Javik closely as he fiddled with his choice of Heavy Pistol. Apparently, their "primitive weaponry" did not live up to the standards set by his "advanced" particle rifle.

"Perhaps we should be worried about you 'accidently' shooting Javik and not the Reapers," James teased.

Tristan looked to her side in surprise. She hadn't even noticed Garrus and James join them next to the shuttle.

"Admit it, Tristan," Garrus urged. "You're just jealous that his biotics are green."

She fought to keep a straight face. "You have me all figured out, don't you, Vakarian? Except for one teeny, tiny detail: I don't want green biotics."

"Oh?" Garrus pressed, keeping a serious face. "What colour would you pick?"

Tristan gave him an 'isn't it obvious?' look. "Pink, duh!"

They all shared a good laugh until Javik was ready. Shepard arrived only minutes later and Tristan could immediately tell something was wrong. It had nothing to do with their plan to stop the Reaper on Tuchanka but seeing Shepard look so…torn and distant made Tristan feel uneasy. She'd never seen the Commander like this before. The urgent call must have been the source of whatever was bothering her so much. If it was about anything else, Tristan would have poked and prodded Shepard until she explained everything but she knew that whatever this was, Shepard wouldn't say a word until she had it figured out.

The shuttle ride was…interesting, not to mention packed as they were all on board, including Wrex, Eve and Dr Solus. Tristan was seated in the co-pilot's chair and she could tell Steve was relieved that it was her and not Wrex. From her position, she only caught a few words of the conversation but she started to listen intently when Eve asked if Shepard was all right. Just as she was about to answer, the shuttle jerked and one of the consoles lit up in front of Tristan.

"I'm picking up a signal from an Urdnot Wreav?" Tristan called out.

Wrex grunted. "Patch it through, Tristan."

It was weird being on a first name basis with a Krogan but Tristan figured that was fair after what happened on Sur'Kesh. She got a distinct feeling that she could consider Wrex a friend. She tapped the necessary buttons and soon another Krogan's voice filled the shuttle.

_::Wrex, it's Wreav! The Reapers are already at the Hollows! Come out with guns blazing!::_

They didn't need to be told twice. Eve and Dr Solus moved out of the way while the others gathered around the shuttle door with their weapons in hand. Steve landed the shuttle and as soon as the shuttle door was open, Wrex charged out. Shepard followed at a slower pace, killing a handful of husks that were outside. Wrex yelled an order at Shepard that Tristan didn't quite catch and then ran off.

"Keep the husks away from the shuttle," Shepard ordered the ground squad as soon as they were gathered behind her. "We don't know how many husks are ahead but kill them all. Save as many Krogan as you can too. I'm guessing these ruins are going to be swarming with the buggers."

They jogged down the corridor and came to a door which opened into an old ruin. The room was circular with a few corridors branching off ahead. The walls had collapsed over the years and a few chunks of rock had landed on the floor. Parts of the upper levels could be seen and there were Krogan soldiers fighting off the husks. Almost immediately, the ground squad was also under attack but they were ready for it. Garrus took up position at the top of the stairs with his sniper rifle while Shepard and James rushed forward with their shotguns. Javik took up position further ahead so he could use his assault rifle. Tristan remained at the bottom of the stairs so she could keep the husks from swarming Garrus and she could test out the Paladin.

"One hundred credits say I get more husks than you, Vakarian," Tristan shouted over the din of combat.

Garrus fired a shot from his rifle. "You're on, Chase."

"_Count me in,"_ James decided on the radio.

"Shepard, you want part of the action?" Garrus asked.

"_It wouldn't be fair to you," _she replied casually.

Tristan flung a husk across the room with her biotics. "Agreed. After Menae, we wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself again."

There was a second of silence. _"Make it two hundred and you have a deal."_

There was more chaos than usual and Tristan suspected their wager had something to do with it. 600 credits had a way of making people competitive and they were all putting their best foot forward. Tristan continued to alternate between her biotics and the Paladin for maximum damage. There had been a few incidents of foul play where Tristan was convinced that Garrus had stolen her kill or James and Shepard had an argument over whose shotgun killed a husk. Javik had rolled his eyes and muttered something about "primitive life forms" but even he had to admit that they got results. The courtyard was husk free in record time. Just as they were about to compare their kill counts, Wrex came striding in flanked by quite a few other Krogan.

"They'll sing battle-songs about this someday!" he cried and waved his shotgun.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "He knows how to make an entrance, all covered in blood."

Shepard nudged her elbow as a way of telling her to keep quiet.

"Reaper blood has finally soak our soil," he continued as the surviving Krogan gathered around.

Shepard listened to her radio for a second before approaching Wrex. "We have to get moving. The airstrike is on its way."

Dr Solus approached from the stairs. "Female safe, Shepard. Vitals are strong."

Tristan noticed a few of the Krogan soldiers were getting antsy at the appearance of the Salarian. She nudged James and Garrus and pointed it out. If things started to go wrong, they needed to protect Dr Solus. He was their best – if not only – hope of curing the genophage.

"What's a Salarian doing here?" Wreav demanded angrily as he approached, flanked by soldiers. "Nobody said anything about this."

"Multiple Krogan. Problematic," Dr Solus observed.

"There's an understatement," Tristan murmured.

Shepard gave them the signal and Tristan, James, Garrus and Javik went to stand either in front of Dr Solus or beside him, in case Wreav decided to try something. Shepard held her ground just in front of them. Hopefully, Wrex was as good of a diplomat as he thought.

"Who are you?" Shepard asked in an effort to distract the Krogan.

"Urdnot Wreav," he answered as he approached. "Brood brother to our…illustrious leader." Something about his tone said he didn't approve of Wrex or the way he led.

"Wreav and I share the same mother," Wrex explained. "And nothing else." Apparently, the feeling was mutual.

"For which I'm thankful," Wreav retorted. "I remember what it means to be a true Krogan. We flay our enemies alive and drown them in a geyser of their own blood. We don't invite them into our home."

Tristan leant forward to whisper in Shepard's ear. "You better do something. I think Wreav is trying to make a power play here." Tristan would have liked to say something but she knew her wit would do nothing other than make the situation worse.

Shepard nodded her agreement and took a step forward. "This Salarian is not your enemy. He is here to help cure the genophage."

Wreav redirected his angry glare to Shepard. "His kind gave us the genophage! Why should we trust him?"

Wrex answered this particular question by head-butting Wreav. Tristan wholeheartedly approved. "Because I do!" Wrex announced. "And so will you, Wreav."

Things were getting tense. The other Krogan that surrounded them had split loyalties: some followed Wrex while others believed Wreav had the right of it. They growled at each other menacingly and a few even reached for their guns. Tristan was getting ready to throw up a Barrier around them if the situation turned worse. It wasn't until Wreav drew his shotgun that Eve came to their rescue.

"Enough!" she shouted and her voice carried throughout the ruins. Every Krogan froze and then turned to stare at her as she descended the stairs. Even Wreav put his shotgun way. "You can stay here and let old wounds fester as Krogan have always done…or you can fight the enemy you were born to destroy – and win a new future for our children. I choose to fight. Who will join me?"

Tristan had to admit it: Eve knew how to give a speech. There was a tense moment as no one responded.

Shepard stepped forward. "I will."

With all Krogan eyes on her, Tristan knew she couldn't let Shepard stand alone in the open so she stepped beside the Commander. "As will I." Even though she meant those words, she also wanted to be in a position to put up a Barrier in front of Shepard if things turned bad.

"And so will I," Wrex agreed. "Now hold your heads high like true Krogan. There's a Reaper that needs killing."

With that, they headed out of the ruins and Tristan was walking beside Shepard. "So, if we are ever faced with a horde of angry Krogan, all we have to do is give them something else to shoot at."

Shepard shook her head in amusement. "After what just happened, that's what you learnt?"

"Pretty much."

Wrex had organised large road vehicles to transport them as well as a few Krogan. Shepard was riding in one, along with Wrex, Dr Solus and Eve. Tristan was in the transport directly behind hers with James, Javik and Garrus. There were a few other Krogan inside who kept glaring at Garrus or grunting in impatience. Tristan wasn't nervous to be packed in a tin can with restless Krogan but she sincerely hoped Wrex ordered them not to attack. She didn't fancy defending herself against their own allies and causing a diplomatic incident. That would go well. The vehicle suddenly came to a stop. Tristan knew they hadn't reached their target yet – not enough time had passed – so she led the others out of the vehicle to investigate. Shepard had the same idea, apparently.

They gathered near the edge of the bridge and looked towards the horizon. There was a tall building which would put the skyscrapers on Earth to shame. It was emitting some sort of green gas that had gathered in a large cloud above the Shroud which was slowly growing larger and spreading in every direction. The Reapers really were poisoning the atmosphere. A part of Tristan had hoped that it was just some weird Salarian metaphor but apparently not.

"Wrex, you and Mordin stay with Eve. It's looking ugly out here," Shepard ordered over the radio.

"_Will do,"_ Wrex replied.

Tristan started to glance over the Krogan that had disembarked from their vehicles until she spotted one that was a short distance away from the others and looking ahead, not at the Shroud. His hardsuit was also different compared to the other Krogan which led her to believe he was a scout and the one they should talk to.

"Over there," she said and pointed at him. "That scout should be able to tell us why we stopped."

"How can you tell he's a scout?" James asked with a frown.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Shepard started walking forward. "Nicely spotted, Tris."

"Look at that Reaper," Garrus commented as they walked. "It's the end of the world out there."

"It will be my first kill but not my last," Javik added.

Tristan and James shared a confused look. What did that mean? Hopefully, he meant it would be the first Reaper he killed.

"Why did we stop?" Shepard asked the scout as soon as they were within earshot.

The scout turned to face them. "The road's out. The convoy can't make it through."

Shepard tried to stall the airstrike but it was no good. The fighters flew overhead and Tristan's feeling of unease resurfaced. To take down the Reaper, they needed a coordinated attack. This was the opposite of coordinated. Her earlier conversation with Shepard came to mind. This was the perfect example of things _not_ going according to plan.

"An airstrike isn't enough against a Reaper," Javik pointed out irritably. "We must join the fight."

Tristan rolled her eyes. "Do you have any suggestions? Like how to repair the broken bridge? Or are our vehicles too primitive because they rely on a road?"

Javik turned to face her. "I just disagree with standing around and doing nothing! Something you seem to be good at."

They continued to argue for a few minutes until Shepard yelled at them to stop it. Tristan looked up in surprise and then noticed something behind the Commander. One of the Turian fighters had been hit and was coming straight for them.

"Shit…" she commented and the others turned around to look.

As the fighter made contact, she threw up a Barrier around the squad. It absorbed most of the damage but there was enough force to knock her off her feet. In the smoky confusion that followed, Tristan vaguely heard Shepard order Wrex to go and the transports sped off. Slowly, the smoke cleared but the force had hit Tristan harder than she thought. They had been too close to the explosion. There was still some ringing in her ears as Garrus and James slowly helped her to her feet. Her Barrier had protected them from any injuries but the entire bridge shook enough that they had all been knocked off their feet. When Tristan's ears finally stopped ringing and the floor stopped moving, she looked to Shepard for orders.

"Shepard, there's a tunnel over there," Garrus pointed out. "Could be a way around."

"Let's check it out," Shepard agreed. "Tris, you all right?"

"Sure," she answered as she took out her Heavy Pistol. "Reminds me of a New Year's party I went to a few years back."

Shepard rolled her eyes in a mix of amusement and exasperation and led the way into the tunnel. At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a rocky tunnel but upon further inspection, Tristan realised they were actually inside a really old ruin. As they went deeper inside, the darker it got. They were soon forced to switch on the flashlights attached to their guns.

"Wrex, are you receiving this? Is everyone all right?" Shepard asked over the radio.

"_Yeah, just scratches,"_ Wrex answered. _"Nothing the Salarian can't fix. Wreav's truck made it out too."_

"The Turians had to call off the airstrike. We'll need a new plan for dealing with the Reaper," Shepard explained.

"_First we'll have to find you,"_ Wrex replied. "_Where'd you end up?"_

Tristan approached a wall to get a better look at it. "It looks like we're in some ruins of some sort. Hundreds of years old, at the least. Doesn't look like anyone's been through here in about the same amount of time."

"_Commander, that's the city of the ancients,"_ Eve explained.

"Any idea of where to go?" Shepard asked.

"_No maps exist,"_ Eve answered. _"It's been abandoned for thousands of years."_

"_You're a trailblazer, Shepard. Get through there and we'll find a place to meet up,"_ Wrex ordered. _"Nothing will stop this cure."_

Shepard looked at Tristan. "Just for the record, I blame you for this."

"Why?" Tristan asked in confusion.

"'When do things ever go according to plan?' I believe those were your words of choice," Shepard remarked.

Tristan wanted to argue. "You agreed with me."

Shepard smiled. "Let's get a move on. Don't want to keep Wrex waiting."

They descended further and further into darkness. The walls were covered in cobwebs that moved in a non-existent breeze. Large chunks of wall were missing in some places and other corridors had collapsed entirely. A few plants thrived in the dark and the damp. There was also so much dust that Tristan had to stifle a sneeze on two separate occasions. At the moment, it was simply go through the passages that hadn't collapsed and hope for the best. Just as they passed through another doorway, the floor began to shake violently and dust trickled down the cracks. Garrus, Tristan and James steadied each other as they were closer than the wall while Shepard grabbed onto a piece of rubble and Javik stubbornly waited it out.

"What was that?" Javik demanded.

"Felt like a tremor," Garrus remarked.

Tristan brushed some dust from her shoulders. "I have a bad feeling about this."

They continued forward uneasily and soon stumbled upon a room with paintings of the ancient Krogan. Tristan approached to get a better look at one of them. They were mostly painted in black and red.

"Never figured the Krogan for the artistic type," Garrus pointed out from her shoulder.

"Blowing things up? Absolutely," Tristan said. "Making things pretty? Hell no."

Garrus chuckled but their amusement was short-lived as another tremor shook the room. A few pieces of rubble also cluttered down the walls and they had to be careful to dodge them. It was very weird. Tuchanka was known for many things but natural disasters were not a part of that list, unless you counted the Krogan. They continued forward through two more tremors without a problem until they reached stairs that headed down. Just as they started to go down, there was yet another tremor. It was far more violent than any of the others they had so far encountered and Tristan put up a Barrier over their heads to protect them from the rubble. Something felt off about it though and Tristan was convinced she heard something…growl in the walls.

"That didn't feel like a tremor to me," James said uneasily.

Shepard must have agreed because she placed a finger to her radio. "Wrex, are you guys feeling these tremors?"

"_Not up here,"_ the Krogan answered.

"_It could be something else, Commander,"_ Eve guessed. _"It is said that Kalros, the mother of all thresher maws, lives in this region."_

"_Which is another reason to get your ass out of there, Shepard. Step on it!"_ Wrex motivated.

"Somehow, he's a lot more encouraging when talking to other Krogan," Tristan murmured.

"'Kalros, mother of all thresher maws' sounds troubling," Javik remarked.

"When the Krogan name a thresher maw, you know you're in trouble," Garrus agreed. "They don't think anyone's ever going to kill it."

They navigated their way through more twists and turns, avoiding collapsed passages and keeping very quiet. Suspecting there was something moving in the walls had a very different affect than _knowing_ there was the mother of all thresher maws creeping around nearby. It was unsettling and none of them wanted to risk attracting her attention. They even passed a dead Rachni but Tristan was less interested in than and more interested in the light coming through the top of the stairs above them. Tristan wasn't scared of the dark, only of what lurked inside it. They headed up the stairs and they were all surprised by what they saw.

"Now, this is new – a part of Tuchanka that isn't rubble," Garrus said.

There were sprawling ruins ahead of them that must have been a very impressive city many, many years ago. Plants had taken over most of the city and it had collapsed in various areas. It was sad that more architecture hadn't been preserved. While Tristan was admiring the view, Shepard contacted Wrex. They continued to push on but they didn't get very far because Reaper forces dropped down in front of them. There were Cannibals, Husks and Ravagers. They immediately dove behind cover to avoid being targeted by Ravagers and Tristan decided this was a good opportunity to test her new submachine gun.

"Are we still doing our bet?" Garrus called from his cover.

Tristan ducked down behind her rock to avoid a Ravager's explosive attack. "Hell yeah!"

"_One point for husks, two for Cannibals, three for Marauders, five for Brutes and ten for Ravagers?" _Shepard suggested as she fired off her shotgun.

"Why didn't we do this against the Collectors?" Garrus demanded good-naturedly.

Tristan slammed a Cannibal into the floor. "Because you didn't have my ingenuity along for the ride."

Shepard snorted in amusement. _"Thank goodness for that."_

If Shepard had been in her line of sight, Tristan would have stuck her tongue out. Instead, she settled for stealing a Cannibal from her with a Warp before Shepard could fire her shotgun. They steadily gained ground as the Reaper forces dropped like flies. There had been one or two more incidents of foul play but there were more arguments about who would get the Ravager points when teamwork was involved in bringing it down. As the battle drew to a close, there was another tremor. While the others commented on Kalros, Tristan had to wonder if she was drawn to the sounds of combat or if she was following them. If it was the latter then it was surprising that she hadn't attacked them yet.

They continued forward once Kalros passed and were forced to jump over a small gap where pieces of the bridge had collapsed. More Cannibals came pouring out of a nearby corridor. To stop them from getting swarmed, Tristan biotically Threw one Cannibal into some of his friends which had a domino effect, knocking them back down the corridor. It was then that a Brute emerged with a few husks trailing behind it. Tristan quickly sent two Warps at the Brute but before she could pull the trigger on her Heavy Pistol, Shepard fired her shotgun and killed it. There wasn't time to argue over it now so she redirected her focus to the husks and Cannibals.

When the chaos came to a standstill, Javik was the first to emerge from his cover. "The enemy is dead. For the moment."

"Let's move before more show up," Shepard ordered and led the way towards the corridor.

"So…," Tristan ventured slowly. "Who wants to compare scores?"

Shepard shook her head. "Let's wait until we're back on the _Normandy_."

"Agreed," Garrus replied. "It will make it easier for you to pay me the credits."

"I don't know, Scars. You're good but I'm better," James retorted.

Javik sniffed indignantly. "I do not understand these values you place on the Reaper forces."

"It's a friendly competition, Javik. That's it," Shepard explained patiently. "Points are based on a scale of difficulty."

"War is no place for friendly competition," the Prothean snapped. "It distracts you from eliminating your enemy."

"Does it?" Tristan challenged and pointed to the carnage they had left behind.

Javik still disapproved and if he had been human, Tristan would have described his behaviour as 'pouting'. They had reached the edge of the corridor when Wrex's voice came over the radio again.

"_Shepard, how's it coming?"_ he asked.

"We're still in the ruins," she answered. "The Reapers seem a bit intent on making sure we don't get out of here."

"_Get a move on!"_ Wrex ordered impatiently. _"That Reaper hasn't moved and the sky is looking worse."_

There was another tremor and it was pretty powerful.

"Wrex, you're right about Kalros," Shepard said once the ground stopped moving. "She's on the move."

"_Yeah, we've got some ideas on that,"_ Wrex started to say and then he was interrupted by something they didn't hear. _"What?"_

Eve's calm voice followed. _"Not now, Wrex. The commander has enough to worry about."_

"Well, that sounds ominous," Tristan observed.

"What are you two talking about?" Shepard asked with a frown.

"_Some crazy idea we can talk about later. Just worry about getting out of there for now,"_ Wrex dismissed.

They fought their way through a ruined courtyard and as per Wrex's instructions, they stumbled onto a large bridge overlooking a vast expanse of desert. They could see Wrex's convoy of trucks below them.

"_Shepard, we're coming under the bridge,"_ Wrex explained. _"Find a way down and we can get to the Shroud! Wait…Kalros!"_

Sure enough, just behind the trucks, the back of a huge thresher maw glided through the sand just as a shark would below the surface of the ocean. The trucks took off immediately and Tristan could see Kalros was about to hit the bridge and take out a large portion of it. She rushed forward and grabbed Shepard who was trying to get through to Wrex so she wouldn't get injured. Wrex was shouting orders over the radio but they were directed at the trucks and not at Shepard.

"_Kalros' territorial instinct confirmed!"_ Dr Solus' voice declared over the radio.

Tristan raised an eyebrow as they watched the trucks disappear ahead. The Salarian professor sounded nervous and she didn't blame him. On an average day, thresher maws were hard to kill. Now there was the mother of all thresher maws? Tristan was suddenly glad she wasn't in the truck anymore.

"_She's not going to get us,"_ Wrex reassured Dr Solus, which was an odd turn of events. It wasn't all that long ago that he was just a pyjak in the Krogan's eyes. _"Go on ahead, Shepard. We'll try to shake this thing and find you."_

"Got it, Wrex," Shepard replied and indicated that they were moving out. "Just be careful."

"_Thresher maw getting closer!"_ Dr Solus informed Wrex nervously.

"_Tell me something I don't know!"_ Wrex snapped impatiently.

"_Metal in truck an excellent iron supplement for maw's diet!"_ Dr Solus supplied.

"Well, that was informative," Tristan remarked as they jumped over the recently broken part of the bridge.

"Any mission with Mordin guarantees you'll learn something," Shepard replied with a smile.

"And the thing is, I bet Wrex is enjoying this," Garrus added.

"After seeing him pilot that shuttle on Sur'kesh, I'm with you on that," Tristan agreed.

"War is not a sport," Javik interjected disapprovingly. "It is a means to an end."

Tristan bit her tongue to keep from saying anything. The last thing she wanted was to argue while on a mission again. Getting yelled at by Shepard was not a fun experience. They covered ground at an even pace despite the best efforts of a small group of Marauders and Cannibals that wanted to stop them. Once they were killed, Dr Solus came back on the radio.

"_Shepard. Wrex busy driving truck. Are you still alive?"_

"We're doing what we can. What about you?" she replied.

"_Alarmed yet entertained. Kalros is quite persistent."_

"Just for the record, Tristan," Shepard told her. "That's what you sound like as far as life threatening situations are concerned."

Tristan shrugged. "I disagree. I'm rarely alarmed."

Shepard grinned and they continued on their way. They hadn't gotten far when Wrex contacted them again.

"_Shepard, we've almost lost Kalros. Get down here and we'll find you."_

They found some damaged stairs and hurriedly jumped down. Getting eaten by Kalros was not on their to-do list for today and they had already wasted enough time. The two remaining trucks came speeding into view and Wrex came to a stop at the foot of the stairs. Dr Solus opened the door from inside and they all clambered into the large truck. Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough and Kalros ended up taking Wreav's truck down with her. As soon as Shepard was safely inside, Wrex took off at quite an alarming speed.

"What about Wreav?" Eve asked calmly.

Wrex didn't even spare her a glance. "There's no way he survived that. And he was a pain in the ass anyway. Now let's finish this. There's a Reaper waiting for us."

With Wrex driving the truck, they were able to reach the ruins that led to the Shroud in record time. The Reaper remained close to the building to make sure no one attempted to stop its work. As they all climbed out of the truck, they gathered around to watch the Reaper. Tristan didn't listen to Garrus and Javik's conversation. Instead, she was trying to think of a way to stop this Reaper that would result in their survival. Very little came to mind.

"We're curing the genophage no matter what it takes," Wrex reminded them. "Everything my people will ever be depends on it."

"Then I hope this crazy idea you mentioned is a good one," Shepard said.

Wrex pointed to Eve. "It was her idea, actually."

"Kalros," Eve explained simply. "We summon her to the Reaper."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Usually, I'm all for a crazy idea but how would we even do that? And what would stop her from eating us as well?"

Dr Solus brought up his omni-tool. "Already discussed strategy. Just need to distract Reaper, draw it from tower while cure synthesized, released."

"Legends say that she is the mother from which all other thresher maws spawn," Eve continued. "This is as much her home as ours."

"If Tuchanka has a temper, then Kalros is it," Wrex added. "Nobody has ever faced her and survived. This is the only way to get to the tower and release the cure. There is no other choice."

Shepard scratched her chin thoughtfully. "It _is_ the only plan we have. How do you suggest summoning her?"

"The tower was built in an arena devoted to Kalros' glory," Eve answered. "The Salarians thought she would scare away intruders."

"Appears to have worked," Dr Solus interjected.

"There are two maw hammers there, the largest in existence," Eve continued. "If you can activate them, Kalros will come. That should distract the Reaper."

Dr Solus turned around to face them. "Meanwhile, laboratory nearby. Will finish synthesizing cure."

"Let's make sure we all get out of here alive," Shepard ordered. "We're going to have one hell of a story to tell."

Tristan nodded. "And a serious need for a drink."

Wrex took this opportunity to declare Shepard an honorary Krogan and a part of Tristan was a bit jealous. A group of Ravagers suddenly appeared behind them but Wrex charged into battle before anyone could react. Shepard led the way into the ruins but they were soon pinned down by a large group of Cannibals. Even if the Reaper had no idea what they were planning, it was still going to try to stop them. It would be so much easier if the Reapers just gave up but Tristan knew there was no chance of that ever happening. At least the ruins provided enough cover and Tristan was using her submachine gun, which was proving to be quite effective.

"_Shepard, I took care of those Rachni,"_ Wrex told them over the radio. _"But someone has to raise those maw hammers before you can use them."_

"We're kind of busy, Wrex," Shepard replied through gritted teeth as she quickly dispatched two Cannibals.

"_Lucky for you I'm here,"_ Wrex declared. _"I'll handle it."_

Despite the current circumstances, Tristan had to smile. She really liked Wrex and was a bit disappointed that she couldn't get to know him better. Once the last Cannibal lay dead, they continued on their way. Dr Solus gave them a quick update mentioning the cure would be ready soon which was good news. Wrex also let them know that he had raised the hammers and gave some pretty helpful advice ("avoid the Reaper's laser) and pretty soon, they were in the ruins just in front of the Reaper. The Reaper had noticed them and started shooting at them, forcing them to duck behind some large stone pillars.

"Now this is something I've never done before," Garrus joked.

"I remember this part," Javik realised.

Shepard turned to face them. "So, we have two hammers that need activating and not a whole lot of time. Tristan, you take the left hammer and I'll take the right. The rest of you, try to keep the Reaper and anything else it throws at us distracted."

They all confirmed their orders and Tristan could feel the familiar thrill of a life threatening situation. Shepard sprinted off first, veering towards the right and Tristan headed off to the left. The Reapers must have had a standing kill order on Shepard because it didn't pay any attention to Tristan, despite her efforts to get its attention. Despite this, Shepard was able to push through and they all met up at the edge of the next courtyard where the hammers were located. Just as they were in range of the devastating laser, the Turian fighters returned in an effort to distract the Reaper.

"I knew they wouldn't give up," Garrus said as the fighters flew overhead.

Tristan admired their persistence. "They deserve a raise."

While the Reaper was distracted, they pushed further into the courtyard. The Reapers had a Plan B, apparently, as Brutes started to rain down in the large balls of fire that often signalled the arrival of reinforcements. Things just got a lot more interesting. Tristan decided it was best not to dwell on this fact and she and Shepard nodded to each other before sprinting off. A lot of Brutes had swarmed the courtyard and Tristan was forced to put her evasive skills to the test. She didn't even bother drawing her weapons even though she heard the others attempting to distract the Brutes. Tristan slid through the legs of the first Brutes she crossed paths with and quickly got back onto her feet before it could turn around and hit her.

She was forced to roll out of the way as she narrowly missed a Brute's arm. A Reaper leg suddenly dropped down in front of her and she was forced to slam on brakes. The small dust cloud it created when it lifted its leg upon again nearly made Tristan cough and sneeze but she had more important things to focus on. She pushed herself forward, narrowly dodging another two Brutes until she finally reached her maw hammer and activated it. A few seconds later, Shepard activated hers.

"_Get back to the trucks,"_ Shepard ordered. _"I'll take care of the cure."_

Tristan knew that tone: this order was not up for discussion. She sprinted towards the others who were laying down suppressing fire for her and Javik even used his biotics to throw a Brute off balance when it was close to catching her. Just as Eve predicted, Kalros obeyed the hammers and made straight for the Reaper. As the Reaper tried to shoot her with its laser, Kalros slammed into it and the laser went wide, hitting various parts of the ruins. Tristan had to dive out of the way to evade a large piece of a collapsing column and the dust momentarily blinded her, making her cough. Garrus and James pulled her onto her feet and they continued to sprint through the ruins, dodging the destruction. Together they managed to reach the trucks. She immediately sat down on the floor with her back leaning against the truck and tried to catch her breath.

Even from their distance, they could still easily see Kalros and the Reaper fight. An idea came to mind. If the Alliance forces – or even anyone for that matter – could see a Reaper get destroyed without the use of advanced weaponry, it could go a long way to affecting morale, especially back on Earth. Tristan used her omni-tool to record the battle and she had to admit: Kalros was putting on a hell of a show. After a few blows that involved slamming into each other, Kalros wrapped herself around the Reaper and squeezed the life out of it, quite literally, before slowly sinking back into the sand. Tristan stopped the recording and immediately sent it to EDI.

"EDI, make sure Diana Allers gets the file I just sent you," she ordered. "And try to get it to Anderson, if possible."

_::I shall begin working on it immediately, Agent Chase.::_

Eve and Wrex returned to the truck shortly after. Eve looked like she had seen some better days but she was fine, for the most part. As they waited for word from Shepard, something about the Shroud changed. Instead of the odd green energy that was poisoning the atmosphere, a strange white…rain started. Only it wasn't water. It was something else, almost like snow. Wrex ordered them all into the truck and they drove towards where Shepard was standing. Once they joined her, a large explosion destroyed the Shroud. When Tristan saw Shepard's expression, she knew Dr Solus was still inside the Shroud and hadn't made it out in time. Words were useless at the moment so she settled on placing a hand on Shepard's shoulder. Shepard smiled gratefully and they went back to watching the cure's dispersal. Even Eve and Wrex were mesmerised.

After a few more minutes, they returned to the truck and made their way to the Hollows, the area where they had first arrived. Shepard hadn't said a word since leaving the Shroud and Tristan wasn't surprised. Shepard was known for growing close to every single crew member and Dr Solus had been the first crew member she recruited before going through the Omega-4 Relay. They respected each other and had a good camaraderie so she was going to take this loss hard, especially after she had tried so hard to bring everyone back alive. Shepard walked ahead with Wrex and Eve while Tristan, James, Garrus and Javik hung back.

When they returned to the _Normandy_, Shepard immediately went to report to Admiral Hackett. Tristan went into her quarters to put her own gear away when she noticed a green light flashing on her terminal. In surprise, she went over to investigate and was even more surprised by its contents. After rereading it, she sent it to her omni-tool and headed straight for the War Room. Shepard was still speaking with Hackett and he mentioned hearing whispers about STG. Shepard looked up in confusion when Tristan approached and Hackett looked equally mystified.

"Admiral Hackett," Tristan greeted with a smile. "I can confirm that those are not just whispers."

"_Oh?"_ Hackett prompted, his eyebrows raised above his cool grey eyes.

"Major Kirrahe sent me a message, pledging full STG support," she explained. "The Dalatrass' decision is unpopular to say in the least. The Reapers will head for the Sur'kesh in a matter of time and we're the best chance this galaxy has. Most Salarians have figured this out. Major Kirrahe mentioned political pressure against the Dalatrass."

"Why would he tell you this and not me?" Shepard asked.

"Professional courtesy," Tristan answered easily.

Hackett smiled. _"It's good to know. You did a good job, both of you. Keep it up. Hackett out."_

The channel closed almost immediately and Tristan turned to leave when she noticed Shepard leaning against the wall of the comm room, her eyes downcast and her arms folded across her chest. She looked so exhausted that Tristan was caught off guard. The soft voices of Primarch Victus and Garrus speaking next to the console in the War Room drifted in. Tristan walked over and stood next to her.

"I know words won't bring him back but Dr Solus died fixing his mistake," Tristan said softly. "His decision will impact the galaxy for future generations. He will never be forgotten. I didn't know him as well as you. Somehow though, I think he would be at peace with this."

Shepard smiled. "Thanks, Tris."


	16. Abductions

**A very quick update here. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'm going to be able to post again so quickly as school work is picking up. I also wanted to dedicate this chapter to Ms Stitcha and AzureVirgo. Thank you for your support and encouragement.**

**Something else I forgot to add to my last update: the spoiler alerts have been updated (somewhere) and I just wanted to make it clear so I don't accidently spoil something that wasn't mentioned in the first chapter. This story will now include spoilers for **_**From Ashes**_**, **_**Extended Cut**_**, **_**Leviathan**_** and the recently released **_**Citadel**_**. The chapters relating to **_**Citadel**_** will pop up much later in the story so there is still time for you to play it before my story spoils it for you.**

**This chapter is also laying out the groundwork for the sequel. I'm sure a few people can already get a sense of where it's going. I figured it works quite well considering they mention very little about what's going on with Cerberus.**

**Please enjoy!**

**Chapter 16 Abductions**

It had only been an hour or so since the _Normandy_ left Tuchanka and the exhaustion was palpable. Wrex had already sent Krogan soldiers to relieve the pressure on Palaven and Primarch Victus stuck to his side of the bargain by sending Turian forces to help the Alliance. Shepard had done the impossible: cured the genophage and created an alliance between the Turians, Krogan and Humanity. Changing history had a way of wearing out a crew so, for the time being, they were taking a break until Admiral Hackett passed along any urgent business. Shepard was attempting to catch a few hours of sleep, as were most people. Dr Chakwas was thrilled to have her Medical Lab back and the War Room was quiet. The crew felt relieved that there was no longer a chance of a Turian-Krogan war breaking out on the ship.

Tristan was in the mess hall with a cup of coffee. She felt mentally exhausted but she still couldn't sleep. A few members of the ground squad felt the same way and were attempting to keep themselves busy. Garrus was still calibrating something or other and coordinating Primarch Victus' forces. Liara was using her resources as the Shadow Broker to continue researching the Crucible as well as locate possible resources. Lieutenant Cortez was maintaining the shuttle. Joker was attempting to teach EDI jokes but things weren't going too well. And as far as Tristan knew, James was one of the few people who was able to sleep. Javik was probably brooding.

Under normal circumstances, the ground squad probably would have used this time to figure out who won their little bet and the bragging would start. The credits didn't really matter – among friends, they probably wouldn't even pay. It was all about the principle. But the mission had ended unexpectedly when Dr Solus gave his life for the Krogan. In the aftermath and seeing how hard Shepard was taking it, they had silently agreed not to broach the subject. It seemed a cruel way to honour Dr Solus' sacrifice and they hadn't said another word about it. It was quite obviously the last thing on Shepard's mind. Besides, they all knew there would be a rematch anyway. Tuchanka was just practice to sort out the points.

There wasn't much else she could do at the moment so Tristan was using this time to catch up on her personal correspondence. With everything else that was going on, thoughts of messages from her niece and nephew had been pushed away. Their mother, Jessica, was a scientist who specialised in nanotechnology and Tristan had called in a favour to get her access to the Crucible Project, unknown to Jessica. Kiera and Luca had gone along so she had no worries about their safety which was why it was easy to avoid thinking about them. As Tristan accessed her inbox on her omni-tool, she was quite surprised by how many messages they had sent over the course of the past two weeks. She felt slightly guilty about not replying sooner but Kiera and Luca understood that her work was important and she wouldn't always have the time to reply. And as long as they were around Admiral Hackett, they would be kept in the loop about the things she was doing…more or less. At least they wouldn't wonder if their aunt was dead or alive.

Most of the messages were asking about their accomplishments. Whatever the _Normandy_ had managed to do spread throughout the Alliance like wildfire because it apparently helped build morale. This also led to large numbers of rumours but Kiera and Luca seemed to know more than they probably should. Their innocent questions ('Wow! Did Commander Shepard _really_ save Grissom Academy?' or 'Did Commander Shepard _actually_ destroy a Reaper with a thresher maw?') were enough to bring a smile to Tristan's face. Kiera was so sure they were exaggerations whereas Luca wanted all the details.

"Messages from home?" a voice asked nearby.

Tristan looked up in surprise to find Diana Allers sitting across from her. The press always made her nervous – mostly because in her line of work, she couldn't afford to make the news and the tiniest slip could end up killing her – so she had done her best to avoid the reporter, even though she had Shepard's permission to be aboard the _Normandy_ and make news articles about the important non-classified stuff. The word was Diana's stories did a lot for morale and not just for the Alliance so Tristan hadn't said a word about her although her taste in clothes had a distracting effect on the crew. Specialist Traynor seemed to have taken a particular shine to the reporter, though.

"In a way," Tristan answered carefully. "My niece and nephew."

"In times like these, any message from family members is a luxury," Diana replied.

Tristan knew it was good advice but she didn't appreciate her tone. "Is there something you needed, Ms Allers?"

"Diana, please. I was told you were a member of the ground team responsible for curing the genophage," she hinted and even batted her eyes, as if that would help in some way.

Tristan really didn't like where this was going. "I was just support. Dr Solus, Urdnot Wrex, Eve and Commander Shepard are responsible for the cure. Not me. If you're fishing for a story…"

"Commander Shepard doesn't want to be disturbed," Diana replied, undeterred. She was certainly persistent. "I was hoping to get a few details from you."

Tristan ignored her usual instinct to run as far away from a reporter as possible. "I know you're just trying to do your job but I am not interested nor am I authorised to give you any information. Whatever agreement you have with Shepard is between you two. You'll have to wait until Shepard has finished resting to get your story."

Diana pursed her lips in disappointment but she kept her composure. "The footage of the thresher maw destroying the Reaper doubled my ratings, by the way. I owe you one for the recording."

Tristan shrugged. "Morale is important. Hopefully, Admiral Anderson will put it to good use." A part of her was pleased to note that Diana was annoyed to learn that the footage was not exclusive. "EDI tells me it's getting a lot of hits on the extranet too."

"I have some footage that I need to edit," Diana excused herself. "Thank you for your time, Agent Chase."

Tristan watched her leave with a neutral expression and as soon as the reporter was gone, she smirked. Who would have thought pushing a reporter's buttons could be so rewarding? Once the mess hall was quiet once again, Tristan returned her attention to her omni-tool. Aside from the messages from Kiera and Luca, there were a few others. Most were reports from other Black Ops agents currently working in the field, passing along information about the Reaper forces, Cerberus and even some of their allies. With Cerberus' drastic change, the Alliance couldn't afford to take chances in trusting that their allies would remain as such. Even though Tristan wasn't high up in the chain of command, her position on the _Normandy_ granted her some power and access to a lot of resources she normally wouldn't have access to. There were even a few reports from Earth, mostly sent in old school spy talk or Morse code. Judging from these snippets of information, the forces on Earth were getting hit pretty hard.

Once she was all caught up, Tristan decided to enjoy the silence for a change. Usually, there was always something happening on the _Normandy_. Between dealing with politicians, fighting Cerberus and having Dr Solus working in the Medical Lab, quiet was a luxury. She sat for a while in silent thought, drinking her coffee. They all should have seen it coming: the Dalatrass trying to prevent a cure for the genophage being developed. During the summit, she had made her feelings about the Krogan clear. Had it been anyone else other than Shepard in charge of this mission…well, things could have gone disastrously. Tristan was glad it had not been her decision. It was easy to consider the situation in hindsight but a part of her knew she would have accepted the Dalatrass' offer and it would have been the wrong choice. There had been too much death already. They didn't need to go looking for more ways and they didn't need politicians dictating the rules of battle either.

Shepard emerged not long after and made herself a cup of coffee before taking a seat opposite Tristan. She looked to be a bit rested but not nearly enough.

"How do you do it?" she asked after they had greeted each other.

"Do what?" Tristan asked. "How do I bring so much style to the battlefield?"

Shepard actually cracked a smile. "No. I meant, how do you function on so little sleep?"

Tristan shrugged. "Years of practice. I'm guessing you didn't get much sleep then?"

"Not exactly. Every time I try…" Shepard drifted off and ran a hand through her hair tiredly.

Tristan understood immediately. "Bad dreams, huh?"

"Yeah. I already spoke to Liara about them but talking doesn't really seem to help."

Tristan absently traced the rim of her coffee mug with her index finger. "Dreams are funny things. When you see those you lost, they can be really painful and bring up feelings you don't want but give it a few years when you start forgetting the friends that are no longer with you and you would give a lot for those dreams to come back."

Shepard looked surprised. It could have been she hadn't expected Tristan to understand so clearly or even guess accurately what the dreams were about. It was also such a rare thing to see her so serious. "Speaking from experience, are we?"

Tristan didn't answer immediately. "I haven't always been so…anti-people or anti-relationship. That's just a by-product of losing more than I was prepared to in the line of duty."

Shepard was silent for a moment as she tried to read Tristan's expression. "He must have been really important to you, especially considering you haven't said a word about him before."

"It was a lifetime ago," Tristan answered and watched her finger as it followed the rim of the coffee mug. "And I was a different person then. After Dylan…let's just say, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure I won't lose those who mean the most to me."

Shepard sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "Things must be pretty bad if you're the one being serious."

Tristan smiled. "Nah. Just too much time to think. Thoughts go to places that are best left alone. That's the problem with things being so quiet." A thought occurred to her and she looked up again. "Allers is on the prowl."

Shepard grimaced. "Of course she is. I'm assuming she tried to interrogate you?"

Tristan scoffed. "Nothing I couldn't handle, despite her best efforts. You'll want to watch your back though. She's pretty determined."

"I might as well go talk to her before she hunts me down," Shepard replied and then looked at her mug. "But after I finish my coffee."

Tristan grinned. "Waiting for the caffeine to kick in?"

"Something like that."

"Where do we go from here?" Tristan asked quietly after a lengthy silence.

"Right now? I don't know," Shepard answered truthfully. "I don't think anyone was prepared for this alliance to actually happen. Now that the Krogan have joined the fight, the battlefield is shifting. We'll have to wait and see where we're needed most. Admiral Hackett will likely contact us soon so enjoy this quiet while it lasts."

"Sounds awesome," she remarked drily.

Shepard smiled. "Most normal people would use this time to catch up on sleep."

Tristan pretended to be shocked by the idea. "Us? _Normal_? Like that would ever happen." She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "Though, I think there's a flaw in your logic."

"Oh?"

"By those standards, it would make James normal."

Shepard smirked. "I don't think anyone on this ship could be classified as normal. Especially not its XO."

"I hear the ship's CO is the craziest of them all," Tristan retorted.

They shared a good chuckle. It was true. A lot of words were associated with the _Normandy_'s crew but 'normal' was not one of them. Shepard left soon after to go do her interview with Diana and then continued to do her rounds. Tristan remained in the mess hall for some time afterwards. She was already feeling restless. Since the Reapers invaded, they hadn't had a real break. Sure, they'd stopped at the Citadel a few times but those were always brief visits before they jumped right back into the fire. An actual break with no indications of when there would be another mission felt…strange. Unnatural, even. And Tristan wasn't one to take breaks between missions, even while working in Black Ops. The last time she had taken a proper shore leave, she and Shepard ended up in the middle of the Skyllian Blitz. The shore leave after that? Tristan became the XO of the _Normandy_ just as the Reapers invaded.

Just as Tristan was about to return to her quarters to do…something, Shepard called her down to the Cargo Hold. By the time she arrived, EDI and Liara were already down there and they were speaking in soft voices. Tristan approached the small huddled group with a questioning look on her face. Not only did Shepard have no idea about stealth, it was weird to see her attempting to do it while on her own ship. In answer, Shepard nodded in the direction of James' still sleeping form and Tristan shook her head in amusement. She doubted anything short of an explosion would wake him and if her suspicions were right, this was about a new mission which would mean the shuttle would probably wake him up anyway.

"What's going on?" Tristan asked in her normal voice.

Shepard quickly glanced at James to make sure he was still asleep. "We just got word from Hackett. Civilians on Benning are being abducted."

"Besides the obvious request to save the day," Tristan began. "Why the sudden pause?"

"We're not entirely sure what's going on," Liara explained. "The soldiers are wearing Cerberus uniforms…"

Tristan raised an eyebrow. It was not so unusual for the terrorist organisation to abduct people. "But?"

"But," Shepard continued. "Cerberus is denying their involvement."

"They also deny they're anti-alien or terrorists," Tristan replied.

"Exactly," Shepard agreed. "Our main objective is to rescue the civilians but something doesn't quite feel right. If there is a divide in Cerberus' ranks, we need to know now. And if they're lying through their teeth, it would also be good to know."

"None of my agents are in the area," Liara added. "I have nothing on Benning."

"Alliance communications and sensors in the system are offline," EDI said.

Tristan glanced between the three of them. "…and?"

Shepard rolled her eyes impatiently. "That's why I want you with us. EDI, Liara and I can handle securing the civilians but we still need answers. According to what Hackett implied, you've been trained for this sort of thing."

"Hackett rarely 'implies'," Tristan pointed out. "Even so, I'm not typically in the business of letting Cerberus soldiers live, rogues or not."

"No one mentioned you have to let them live," Shepard argued. "Find out what you can and then kill them."

Tristan was silent for a moment. "If there is a power struggle in Cerberus, these guys clearly aren't any better than the actual Cerberus. I hope you aren't planning on recruiting them."

"Of course not," Shepard replied, exasperated. "I'm not in the business of recruiting kidnappers."

"All right," Tristan sighed. "But I'll have to be dropped off separately and in a position where I can easily approach a group of soldiers without being seen."

"I'm sure I can figure something out," Lieutenant Cortez cut in from near the shuttle.

"I guess it's sorted then," Tristan realised and then noticed the ground squad Shepard had assembled. She smiled. "Ladies' night out then?"

Shepard smiled too. "It would appear so."

EDI frowned. "But it is not night time, on the ship or on Benning."

"It's a figure of speech, EDI," Liara explained patiently.

They all went in their separate directions to get ready for the mission. A part of Tristan was genuinely excited to do what she had been trained to do. Every mission she had been on with Shepard had little need for sneaking around or spying and Tristan actually missed it. The open and completely opposite to subtle gun fights were fun and all but it wasn't the work she typically did. It wasn't long until they were all on board the shuttle and heading for Benning's surface. Shepard was up front, confirming the details with Hackett and 'implying' that Tristan would be on an intel gathering mission while they secured the civilians. How Tristan missed the conversations where they avoided confirming any details. When Shepard ended her transmission, Tristan approached the cockpit and discovered they were flying past many large buildings.

"Where's the LZ?" she asked as her mind started to form a plan.

"Just ahead," Cortez answered. "Shepard's going in the city centre."

"So…Cerberus is confirmed to be nearby?"

Shepard looked at her sideways. "What are you thinking?"

Tristan shrugged. "That one of these buildings would work perfectly as a point of entry for me." Cortez and Shepard exchanged a glance, trying to figure out if she was kidding or not. Tristan sighed in response. "If you go in, guns blazing, I can't enter anywhere near you otherwise Cerberus will be on high alert. There won't be much to learn before bullets start flying. If I go in somewhere a short distance from you, I'll probably be able to eavesdrop. You'd be surprised by how much can be learnt from idle chatter."

Cortez looked to Shepard for confirmation and she nodded. "Do it."

The shuttle slowed down and Cortez eased it beside a tall building, hovering around third floor height. Tristan was already ready to go and the moment the shuttle door opened, she took a running jump to clear the small gap. Once she had cleared the shuttle, she raised a Barrier in front of her to break the glass without hurting herself. As soon as she landed, she rolled into the impact and used the momentum to carry her back onto her feet.

"I'm good in here," Tristan said over her radio in a soft voice. "I don't know how much time I'm going to need."

"_Don't worry about time. Just find out what you can and let us know when you're ready for pickup,"_ Shepard replied.

Tristan looked over her shoulder and was not surprised to see the shuttle had already disappeared. She drew her heavy pistol and crouched low. It was strange to go looking for Cerberus. Cerberus usually found them. The building she was in had once been an office of some kind. Whatever documents had been stored in the offices had been tossed around. A few windows were cracked by bullets or had been destroyed completely. Tristan had even passed a few blood trails that had long since dried. Whatever these soldiers were up to, they meant serious business. Tristan navigated her way to a security room on the same floor and easily bypassed the system. It was then that gunfire erupted a short distance away. Shepard had found her targets and had engaged them.

It quickly became clear that the reason why the terminal's security was so easily bypassed was because Cerberus had already accessed it and deleted everything that had been stored on it. Of course they had. Security cameras and other devices were offline and destroyed. Naturally. Whether this was a true Cerberus op or not, they were efficient. Tristan bit back her urge to curse and approached a set of stairs that would take her down to the second floor. She remained still for a moment, listening intently. Stairwells had a funny habit of making even the tiniest noise echo loudly and while it made it extremely hard to sneak around, it also let one know if someone was approaching.

When there was only silence, Tristan carefully descended to the next floor. She quickly glanced around and found most of the floor was made up of a maze of cubicles. Many of the walls had bullet holes, some had blood smears and the floor was littered with documents, datapads and pieces of broken items. It was pretty much a mess. The employees probably tried to run and they were likely gunned down before they got out the door. It was odd to see so many dead on an abduction mission. These soldiers weren't fooling around. Tristan moved slowly, keeping her focus on what she could hear in the room and not over the radio. She crouched low below the cubicle walls and proceeded to navigate her way through the maze, hoping to find something.

Soft voices slowly drifted through the silence and Tristan froze, trying to work out what direction they were in. After a few moments, she picked her way through the cubicles towards the voices. They steadily grew louder and clearly belonged to Cerberus soldiers. Despite Tristan's best efforts, she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Concentrating on trying to pick out words and make sense of what they were saying, Tristan moved forward and suddenly tripped, landing hard on her side. When she looked by her feet, she discovered that she had tripped over a body. He was a civilian and based on his clothing had previously worked in this building. He had been executed with a gunshot to the back of his head.

Unfortunately, Tristan's unexpected introduction to the floor had not been silent. Tristan gritted her teeth and hoped it went unnoticed. The soldiers shushed each other.

"Did you hear that?" one of the soldiers asked nervously.

Tristan hurriedly scrambled to her feet and ducked into one of the nearby cubicles. Heavy footsteps approached and Tristan flattened herself against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible just in case the approaching soldier looked around. If she got caught, Tristan so blamed this on Shepard. She could hear the soldier look around and was probably investigating the dead man's cubicle. Based on his breathing, he was just on the other side of the wall, mere centimetres away. Tristan held her breath so she wouldn't make a noise. After a few long seconds, the soldier's footsteps retreated. She resisted the urge to sigh in relief and then followed the soldier, slinking into another cubicle when he returned to his comrades.

"Did you find anything?" a second soldier asked.

"No. There wasn't anything there. I must be imagining things," the first soldier answered.

A third soldier laughed. "Going against the Illusive Man making you nervous?"

So, this _was_ a rogue faction of Cerberus, working against the Illusive Man and they were actually capable of telling the truth on occasion. That was nice to know.

"This whole thing is making me nervous. Why are we abducting civilians?" the first soldier asked and he sounded jumpy.

"The General's orders," a fourth soldier replied. "Unless you want the Illusive Man to turn you into a husk, you do what he tells you."

"Why? I mean, what does he need them for?"

"His experiments," the third soldier answered. "Beyond that, we don't need to know and be thankful for that."

Experiments? And who was the General? Tristan knew that if she wanted more information, there was only one place she was going to get it…from the soldiers. But if they had been trained by Cerberus, then they would die before giving away any information, especially if it went against the General's orders. They were obviously scared of this man. Advanced interrogation methods would be of no use here and Shepard would not approve of it either. Tristan needed to get a hold of an omni-tool and hope EDI would be able to get some data from it but she couldn't afford to get swarmed. She needed to get the omni-tool, get out and find Shepard…quietly. Tristan slowly took out her knife and approached the opening in the cubicle which looked into the cubicle opposite.

She summoned the lowest amount of biotic energy she could get away with and aimed it at the desk chair that was in her line of sight. The chair fell over with a thump as soon as the biotics made contact and the soldiers paused in their idle conversation. Apparently, they had no idea about Shepard ruining their plans. The nervous soldier approached carefully and went to investigate the fallen chair. As soon as his attention was fixed on the chair, she stabbed her knife into his lower back. Before he could cry out in pain, she grabbed his helmet with both hands and twisted. Once she was sure he was dead, she silently lowered his body to the floor and retrieved her knife. Then she walked forward and started to remove his omni-tool. Apparently, she took too long as another soldier approached to check on his comrade. He cried out for help as soon as he saw her.

Tristan swore under her breath and used her biotics to fling the soldier across the room. This bought her a couple of seconds which she used to take the omni-tool. Absently, she heard the others moving towards her position and call for reinforcements. This just kept getting better and better. Tristan put the omni-tool away and sprinted through the cubicles, hoping they could put some distance between her and them. Constantly ducking between objects also made it hard for the soldiers to shoot at her.

"Hey Shepard. I got some info but the soldiers caught me. I need a direction to run in," Tristan reported calmly over her radio as she ducked and weaved through the room, the soldiers hot on her heels.

"_Got it. Sending a nav point to your omni-tool,"_ Shepard replied. _"Civilians are safe. Just waiting on you."_

Tristan ducked into another cubicle to investigate. The nav point was north…the shortest distance was straight through the windows and this was the second floor. It was a big drop but it wouldn't kill her. Reinforcements would come up the stairs and cut off that escape. Tristan was good…just not that good. She couldn't take on an army of Cerberus soldiers. So…through the window. This was going to be interesting. What she wouldn't give for a grenade right about now…She pushed this thought away and headed towards the windows. The Cerberus soldiers were yelling orders to each other, still trying to find her.

As soon as Tristan had a clear line of sight to the windows, she took out her heavy pistol and opened fire to weaken the glass. The Cerberus soldiers quickly opened fire in her direction and she put up a Barrier as she jumped through the glass. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she ducked into a roll but the drop had been bigger than she realised and she landed up on her side. Shepard, Liara and EDI quickly came running around the corner of another building, laying out suppressing fire. They must have already been on their way to meet up at the nav point. Liara threw up a singularity in the middle of the broken window. Tristan scrambled to her feet and took a grenade from a very confused Shepard. She threw it towards the window and it got caught in the singularity's pull. It exploded a moment later with a lot of force and the bullets stopped.

"What on earth happened?" Shepard asked, looking between Tristan who had her hands against her knees as she tried to catch her breath and the destroyed windows.

"Shepard, we are on Benning, not Earth," EDI reminded in confusion but she was ignored.

"I so blame you for that," Tristan said as she straightened.

Shepard raised both her eyebrows in disbelief. "Me? What did I do?"

"It's your fault I'm out of practice. Cerberus caught me but I got one of their omni-tools," Tristan responded. "You don't give me a whole lot of opportunities for spy business."

Shepard smiled. "Noted. I'll see what I can do in the future."

"What did you learn?" Liara asked.

"This was a rogue faction," Tristan answered. "They're working against the Illusive Man and for a man they only referred to as the General. They were taking civilians for experiments. Beyond that…I have no idea."

"Let's hope that omni-tool has more information," Shepard replied grimly.

Tristan pulled it out and handed it to EDI. "Cerberus doesn't typically leave info to be found but maybe this guy is an exception. He was exceptionally jumpy…for a Cerberus soldier."

EDI examined the omni-tool. It lit up after a moment. "Unfortunately, there is little data of use. A program has been installed that automatically wipes the device periodically. There is nothing I can recover."

Tristan raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "That seems a bit paranoid. Maybe this General doesn't want the Illusive Man to know what he's up to just yet."

Shepard scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps. The Illusive Man has been pretty obsessed with controlling the Reapers lately. It is possible he's turned a blind eye to what's going on around him. Besides, who would be crazy enough to betray him?"

"You?" Liara asked innocently.

Shepard grinned. "Come on. Steve's waiting and Hackett needs to hear this. There may not be much information but it's more than we had an hour ago."

They returned to the _Normandy_ shortly thereafter and Hackett was impressed Tristan was able to learn anything at all. It wasn't ideal that they returned with more questions than answers although the fact that there was a faction within Cerberus that wasn't following the Illusive Man was…unsettling. At least under the Illusive Man's command, there was a semblance of predictability and given Shepard's past experience working with him, the Alliance had some insight into the way he operated. The General was another matter entirely. Beyond his rank and past affiliation with Cerberus, they knew next to nothing about him. And what else was happening in Cerberus that they were blind to? Hackett promised to commit a few resources into finding more information about the man but he couldn't spare much, between the Reaper invasion and the Crucible. Whatever power struggle was going to play out, a lot of innocent people would get caught in the middle.

Shepard then announced that they would be heading to the Citadel. She had a few promises to make good on and a request for help from another Spectre. It would only be for a few hours. Even so, the crew was excited to get off the ship for a bit, stretch their legs and possibly even drown their sorrows. Tristan suspected that Shepard had an ulterior motive. Alenko had been in the hospital for some time now and she wouldn't be surprised if it was time for another visit. At least it would raise Shepard's spirits. Tristan returned to her quarters and collapsed on the couch that had been mostly ignored up until this point.

Despite her cheery exterior, it really bothered Tristan that she had let her guard down and had botched such a simple job. A couple of months ago, she would have been in and out with every omni-tool, having killed all the Cerberus soldiers without firing a single bullet. She wasn't known as one of the best operatives the Alliance had for nothing. Instead, she'd made a rookie mistake that would have gotten her killed if Shepard hadn't been around. It had been months since Tristan had been assigned a proper Black Ops mission and up until now, she hadn't realised how little effort she'd out into keeping her skills sharp. Doubtless, she would need her skills now more than ever but she had to find some way to get back into the game without leaving the _Normandy_. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was a member of the crew and she couldn't just leave them. Not now.

"Crap," she muttered and sat up on the couch.

The more she thought about it, the more she knew she needed to change her approach to handling missions. Shepard was the soldier between them. Always had been. Tristan was the sneaky spy, working behind the scenes before arriving on stage to take her bow. The performance analogy was more accurate than people realised and had stuck in her mind when she first signed up for the Black Ops program. With a sigh, Tristan forced herself to stand up and decided it was time to talk to Shepard about this. Apparently, she didn't have far to look as Shepard was talking to James about something. Tristan hovered by the elevator until Shepard was done.

"Can we talk?" Tristan asked when Shepard approached.

Shepard had been caught off guard. "About what?"

"What I said today about being out of practice…well, it wasn't really a joke," Tristan tried to explain. "Cerberus shouldn't have caught me. There shouldn't have been bullets flying left, right and centre."

"But they did and there were," Shepard said carefully.

Tristan nodded. "And that was my fault. Since being transferred to Anderson's command, I haven't had a reason to rely on my training and you aren't exactly the most subtle. I've been following your lead without thinking."

Shepard smiled in understanding. "You've been playing the part of a soldier and not an agent," she guessed.

Tristan returned the smile. It was not so strange to find that Shepard understood. "Exactly. I need to change my approach to missions. Naturally, I'll be there with my gun and biotics blazing, if need be, but I need to start thinking like an agent again."

"Don't worry, Tris. I know you won't leave us hanging in the middle of a mission and I trust your judgement. If your spy senses start tingling, I'll go along with it," Shepard replied. "Just…give me a heads up if you can."

"Agreed." Tristan grinned, feeling a better and then raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realise I had spy senses or that they tingled."

Shepard unexpectedly burst out laughing, receiving a confused look from Tristan and surprised looks from Cortez and James. It had been a while since Shepard had genuinely laughed and not just chuckled to make people think she was all right. After a few moments, Shepard recovered and placed a hand on Tristan's shoulder. "Thanks, Tris. I needed that."

"Anytime, Nads," she said slowly, still trying to figure out what just happened. "Although I'm not entirely sure what I did."

Shepard, still quite amused, resumed her walk towards the elevator without an explanation, leaving Tristan to stare after her.

"I guess you really are hilarious," Cortez teased from nearby the shuttle.

Tristan smirked and turned to face the shuttle pilot. "It would appear so though it would be nice to be let in on the joke."

Cortez shrugged. "With the amount of stress she's under, I worry about Shepard sometimes. It's good to know you can still make her laugh."

Tristan returned to her quarters and passed the time by reading new reports and comparing them with the older ones to see if the Reapers were adapting to the different tactics of the various militaries or if they stuck to fighting everyone in the same way. At first glance, it looked like the Reapers remained constant across the battlefields: search and destroy. Some portions of the population were indoctrinated – usually those in a position of some power – while larger portions were…reaperfied? Tristan wasn't entirely sure what the correct term was but their own soldiers were being turned against them. While their numbers dwindled, the Reapers' armies surged.

There wasn't time for a 'second glance', as it were, because they soon arrived at the Citadel. Tristan already knew exactly where she was going: the Alliance R&D lab that specialised in Black Ops gear. This particular lab often had joint projects with other governments to help develop prototypes that had been used by Spectres or the STG. One of their most notable developments was the stealth core from the original _Normandy SR-1_. It was a little known fact that the ship had been initially designed as a way to drop Black Ops agents behind enemy lines but as soon as the Turians caught wind of the project, it was repurposed as an Alliance frigate. Did Tristan think that was a mistake? Not at all but a few of the developers took it personally when they had been forced off the project in favour of Turian researchers.

The lab was located on the Presidium, close to the Alliance offices and Human Embassy but just far away enough that it escaped most people's notice. The scientist in charge, Dr Ian Bishop, was an incredibly gifted man but he had little patience. He had served the Alliance for years after they had paid for his studies at Oxford. Since then, he had created all manner of things that had helped the Alliance in ways words could not describe and not only for Black Ops. Tristan was tempted to bring along Specialist Traynor but Dr Bishop hated meeting new people, especially those without the required clearance level.

Tristan approached the inconspicuous doors and entered her clearance code in the keypad next to the door. After a second, it changed from red to green and the doors opened to reveal a short passage with another door in it. The passage reminded Tristan of a hospital as it was painted completely white. A security camera had been positioned just above the other door with a clear view of the entire passage. Tristan approached the door and stopped a short distance from it. The light blue lights that signified the biometric scan appeared and passed through her without incident. Suddenly, a voice filled the passage.

_::What do you want?::_

"I'm here to see Dr Bishop," she answered impatiently. "I've already passed both of your tests or do I have to call Admiral Hackett?"

The voice sighed in irritation. _::Fine but _don't_ touch anything.::_

Tristan rolled her eyes in full view of the camera before walking into the lab. It was huge with workstations spread throughout. Computer terminals beeped and the researchers' voices carried throughout the room. The walls were still painted hospital white and fluorescent lighting lined the ceiling, casting an eerie glow on pretty much everything. It was no surprise to see the scientists working so hard or that there were so few of them. Most had been transferred to the Crucible while those few that remained concentrated on finding ways to help the ground troops in their mission. Tristan scanned the various faces looking for one in particular. She soon spotted Dr Bishop. He was a short and slightly tubby man with very short grey hair. His soft brown eyes peered at everything curiously behind a pair of glasses.

Tristan made her way around the other scientists and as soon as she was within earshot, she greeted him pleasantly. "Dr Bishop."

He turned to face her. "Agent Chase," he returned the greeting brightly and the smile disappeared a second later. "The answer's no."

"You don't even know what I wanted to ask," Tristan pouted.

The older man examined her closely. "I have no official requests for any gear from you so you are here to ask a favour."

"Okay…so maybe you do know what I wanted to ask."

He sighed impatiently. "If it were under any other circumstances, maybe but right now, I don't have the time." He turned his back on her and started to walk away.

Tristan wasn't going to give up that easily and examined her nails casually, adopting an air of indifference. "All right. I guess I'll just have to return to the _Normandy_ empty handed."

Dr Bishop paused mid step and spun around to face her again, an excited glint in his eyes. "You're posted on the _Normandy_?"

"I'm the XO, actually," Tristan answered and folded her arms across her chest. She knew Dr Bishop was particularly interested in the ship. "Hadn't you heard?"

"The XO?" he repeated quietly and then looked up again with more excitement on his face. "Serving under Commander Shepard? Hero of the Skyllian Blitz? Humanity's first Spectre? Saviour of the Citadel and the Council? The last hope of stopping the Reapers?"

Tristan found herself leaning quite far back as Dr Bishop had taken a step closer to her with every question in excitement. His obvious…admiration of Shepard had been unexpected. Tristan thought he would be more interested in the _Normandy_ and not its commander. "Is there another Shepard?"

Dr Bishop suddenly composed himself and sniffed importantly. "I'm sure we can figure something out. Follow me, Agent Chase."

Tristan couldn't quite hide the smirk that appeared. Dr Bishop took her on a tour of the lab while explaining various projects and improvements. There were quite a few projects that had been completed and cleared for use but in the chaos following the wake of the Reaper invasion, the gear hadn't gotten to where it was needed and supply lines were too unreliable. It became hard to keep track of how much time had passed and Dr Bishop had already agreed to send a few things to the _Normandy_, including a new hardsuit and a few other things that would help the crew. Dr Bishop couldn't promise too much as some things were either too experimental or needed by other units.

Even so, by the time Tristan returned to the _Normandy_ after running a few more errands, quite a few crates had already been delivered under her name and the majority of the crew had already returned. She made her way down to the Cargo Hold and was quite amused when she found Cortez and James attempting to figure out what was in them. Shepard was the one who often had things delivered with Cortez in a close second and they had always made their deliveries known. The crew was far too curious for their own good and Cortez and James were serious partners in crime when left to their own devices.

She casually leant against the side of the shuttle and folded her arms in front of her chest. "Find something interesting?"

Cortez and James abruptly turned to face her, looking a bit sheepish at being caught.

"Nope, nothing," James answered hurriedly.

Cortez shook his head. "Not at all."

Tristan grinned in amusement. "EDI, is Shepard back on board?"

_::Shepard returned a few minutes ago.::_

"Please let her know I want to see her down here," Tristan requested, still keeping an eye on the boys.

Shepard arrived a few moments later, looking confused. "Something wrong?"

"No," Tristan answered, still smirking. "I brought presents. Figured I'd show them to you before they break their way in."

Shepard shook her head in amusement. "What do you have?"

"Items, courtesy of Black Ops R&D," Tristan answered and leading the way over to the crates.

She opened them one by one and revealed the contents. The first crate had a new and improved version of lift grenades that had been referred to simply as 'biotic grenades'. They were smaller and lighter than the originals but they also packed more of a punch. Where the lift grenades had a minor explosion before lifting the targets into the air, these biotic grenades had a bigger explosion and energy that flung the targets in a small radius in all directions; very similar to a shockwave. There were also new shield generators that created much stronger shields that also regenerated quickly while keeping weight to a minimum. Tristan had convinced Dr Bishop to part with enough so that the ground crew would be covered with a few spares. Finally, she revealed new omni-tools that had been upgraded in almost every way. They were intended to be spread throughout the Alliance but they ran out of time.

"These will come in handy," Shepard remarked as she examined an omni-tool and then her eyes fell on a longer, thinner crate nearby. "What's in there?"

Tristan glanced over her shoulder at the crate. "My new hardsuit." Shepard gave her a questioning look and Tristan only smiled. "That's all you're getting from me."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "All right. Good job on getting some new gear. I'll make sure everyone gets an omni-tool and that Liara knows about the grenades."

Tristan thanked Shepard and then headed towards her quarters. She was very excited to test out her new hardsuit. All they had to do now was wait for a mission.


	17. Treason

**So, I managed to squeeze out another chapter, only because I realised I have an extra week to get my university work done. That being said, I'm changing my approach as to how I deal with updates. **_**Hope from the Darkness**_** will now be updated 3 times a month while **_**The Cousland Twins**_** will only be updated once. This averages out to an update a week. The updates may either be spread apart or close together, depending on my free time. I may even be able to squeeze in an extra update but no promises. I know I'll be able to stick to this schedule so there will be fewer excuses from me about lateness. This is the best I can promise at the moment.**

**In terms of Tristan's new hardsuit, the one I had in mind is from one of the multiplayer classes. I'm not entirely sure how good my description is so the Mass Effect wiki has a pretty good picture of it. It's the N7 Shadow Infiltrator class (I'm sure Google will also have pictures of it) if you're curious.**

**Thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.**

**Chapter 17: Treason**

While Shepard went off with James and Garrus to rid Noveria of Cerberus, Tristan remained on the _Normandy_ to investigate her new hardsuit. It was one of those rare occasions that she didn't mind being left behind. A part of her felt like…well, like what she imagined a kid felt on Christmas morning. So much excitement bubbling just below the surface, trying to guess just what the hardsuit could do and making mental plans of what to do with it. Dr Bishop had mentioned a lot of prototype technology had been inserted into the suit and specifically designed with Black Ops in mind. A few suits had been created for a handful of agents that R&D believed would be able to put the suit through its paces and accurately analyse its strengths and weaknesses. Tristan had been a part of this select group.

She carefully opened the crate that the hardsuit had been delivered in and a few differences were already clear. While her old hardsuit was still in good condition, it was quite old and well worn. If memory served, it was at least five years old (how it had survived for this long was beyond Tristan) and given how quickly new technologies were developed, it was quite out of date. Tristan had never seen the point of replacing it as it still worked and did its job but now, she was pretty glad she'd accepted Dr Bishop's offer on the condition that she frequently sent reports on how it handled fieldwork. The new hardsuit was made from an almost cloth like material, as opposed to the combination of a hard plastic substance and a strong metal that most hardsuits were made from (such as Shepard's) but it was pretty obvious that although this material looked weak, it had been reinforced and combined with other materials so it would still provide considerable protection.

Dr Bishop had explained that it was heavily reinforced around the chest area so it would stop a bullet but it would still hurt like hell as they had done away with most of the padding. The rest of the hardsuit had also been reinforced but to a smaller extent. If it was directly shot, the bullet would easily go through so his helpful advice was "don't get shot". The reason why it was so susceptible to bullets was to minimize its weight and make sure flexibility wasn't restricted. It would still provide the same protection against the elements and the shield generators that came with it would prove effective in deflecting gunfire so unless Tristan behaved like an idiot, she would be fine.

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, Tristan hurriedly put the new hardsuit on and was immediately impressed by how much lighter it was. Experimentally, she stretched in every which way she could think of (pretty much like a gymnast would do when warming up) and found that the hardsuit barely restricted her movements. This was going to make her job so much easier. The boots had also been designed to absorb the momentum of high drops so there was little damage to the person wearing it but it still had its limits. Tristan mentally groaned. Where was this suit when she was on Benning? A couple of small pouches had also been attached on both legs of the suit for spare ammo clips and they had been positioned so they were easy to reach but weren't in the way of the gun holsters. A lot of work had gone into its design so it would make the agent's job easier.

Tristan walked over to her wardrobe to get a better look in the mirror and had to smirk. This suit had definitely been designed with her in mind as it had place for all of her weapons, including her knife, in the exact positions that she was used to carrying them on her old hardsuit. While it was predominately black in colour, there were also a few grey sections that would help her to blend into the shadows. And where her old hardsuit had been rather block-like in appearance, this hardsuit hugged her figure making every curve noticeable. Though she suspected the male version of the hardsuit wasn't so…clingy, she knew it served a purpose. It meant that there were fewer moving parts which would make it easier to move quietly when needed. It was also easier to keep track of where every bit of the hardsuit was and where your body was in relation to the environment so something wasn't accidently knocked over.

"James is going to have a field day with this," Tristan realised with a grin and then changed her posture so she was staring at herself in profile. Her expression became thoughtful. "I'm going to have to watch what I eat now."

It was then that something in the reflection caught her eye. A datapad was still lying in the crate and she went to investigate. Apparently, it was an instruction manual. Of course Dr Bishop would see fit to send her one. She shook her head in amusement as she walked over to her desk. Her old omni-tool had been transferring all the information to one of the new omni-tools since Tristan had retreated to her quarters. It was finally done and she put it on. With the instruction manual in one hand, she started to experiment. The hardsuit had full functionality with an omni-tool which meant Tristan had a new bag of tricks at her disposal.

If she had been the type of girl, she would have squealed in delight but she wouldn't have been able to put up with the mocking that would follow. The hardsuit was also capable of full tactical cloaking for any length of time, it could mask thermal body readings for brief periods, the magnetic boots could hold a lot more weight while weighing little themselves, the air supply would last almost twice as long as the old hardsuit (that wasn't too surprising, considering how old the old hardsuit was), nanotechnology embedded in the gloves could pick up technological signals when activated and forward them to the omni-tool…it was then that Shepard decided to interrupt this very crucial learning session.

"Tristan," she said in place of a greeting and then raised an eyebrow when she saw the new hardsuit. "You sure that will handle the stuff we go through?"

Tristan looked up from the datapad. Shepard was still wearing her own hardsuit and only had time to put her weapons away. Her expression was annoyed and grim but not because of Tristan's choice in armour. Something was wrong. That much was obvious.

"I'm guessing we're going to find that out pretty soon," she replied with a small shrug and then turned in her chair to face Shepard completely. "What's going on?"

Shepard leant against the doorway. "I got a very strange call from the Salarian Councillor. He said he had something urgent that can only be discussed in person. Something about Udina moving large sums of money."

"I didn't realise it was protocol to watch politicians' banking methods," Tristan mused and then looked at Shepard again. "I've always known that Udina's an ass but I never pegged him as a corrupt ass. Power hungry, ambitions…sure."

Shepard nodded in agreement. "Whatever is happening must be a recent development but I have a bad feeling about this."

Tristan leant back in her chair and studied Shepard closely for a moment. "How bad, exactly?"

"Elysium, bad," Shepard answered.

That was pretty bad on their scale of 'bad feelings'. Shepard and Tristan had been enjoying shore leave together on Elysium. They were sitting at one of the bars on one of Elysium's idyllic beaches, enjoying fancy cocktails with tiny umbrellas while catching up and laughing. A couple of other Marines on shore leave had decided to buy them a few rounds of drinks. Things were going well and it was a pretty good shore leave…until Shepard mentioned she had an uneasy feeling. Next thing they knew, pirate ships were raining down through the atmosphere. If her bad feeling was similar, then whatever was going on was some pretty serious business.

Tristan grimaced. "Then we'd best be prepared for the worst. I am assuming that I'm coming."

Shepard smiled. "Of course. We need to find out what that hardsuit is capable of." She straightened and was about to turn to leave when a thought occurred to her. "At least it's guaranteed one member of the ground team will approve. I just hope James won't be too distracted."

Tristan smiled and then pointed at the pouches excitedly. "But hey, guess who gets to carry more ammo into the field?"

Shepard smiled too and shook her head in amusement. "You get excited about the strangest things."

"You know the saying 'like a kid in a candy store'?" Tristan asked. Shepard nodded. "Think 'like Tristan in a gun store'."

Shepard chuckled. "There's never a dull moment with you around."

"I do what I can."

Their amusement was short-lived however when Joker's voice came over the intercom.

_::Uh…Commander? You may want to get up here.::_

Shepard and Tristan exchanged a look before Shepard indicated she should follow.

"I'm on my way, Joker."

They immediately made their way to the cockpit at a fast pace. Joker's tone suggested that whatever was going on was urgent which was a bad sign all on its own. If Tristan's calculations were accurate, they should be in the Widow System, on their final approach to the Citadel. Whatever this urgent business was, it had to be connected to the Salarian Councillor's findings. If Shepard's grim expression was any indication, she must have come to the same conclusion. Once they arrived in the cockpit, they could hear Joker was attempting to get through to Alliance Control. The fact that he was struggling was unnerving. Alliance Control was usually on the ball – accurate, efficient and professional. Joker noticed their approach and shook his head before trying again. Shepard stood next to his chair while Tristan hovered behind them with her arms folded.

"What the hell is going on down there?" Joker asked in confusion. "Even if there were a station malfunction, they'd have backups online."

"I don't think this is a station malfunction," Tristan remarked. Her mind had already come up with various possible explanations and none of them were good.

Joker gave her a curious look, maybe hoping to find 'I'm just kidding' on her face. Whatever he saw there was enough to convince him not to make a comment on anything before turning back to the consoles. "I got a bad feeling here. Checking emergency channels."

While he started to do this, Shepard and Tristan took a few steps away from him to have a private chat so they spoke in low voices.

"This can't be a coincidence," Shepard stated thoughtfully. "The Salarian Councillor wants to discuss something and suddenly the Citadel isn't answering? This is bad." She shook her head in disbelief. No one believed the Citadel could come under attack. "What are you thinking?"

Tristan half-shrugged, hoping her thoughts were just the result of paranoia and not true. "Well, whatever is happening, Udina is at the core of it. Worst case scenario? He's been indoctrinated."

Shepard sighed in frustration. "Best case scenario?"

"He's being an ass and making some sort of power play," Tristan asked quietly, sincerely hoping this was not the case.

"On a scale like this?" she replied. "This isn't some move for power."

"It's a coup," Tristan agreed. "But why? And who would be helping him? I don't picture Udina having friends."

Shepard's mouth formed a thin line. "I don't like this at all. Your secret agent friend still on the Citadel?"

"Agent Wilcox? I doubt it. Agents don't stay in one place too long," Tristan answered.

"What about the R&D Lab?"

Tristan shook her head. "They have strict lockdown procedures. At the first sign something is wrong, the entire lab locks down. Nothing gets in or out – messages and people included."

Shepard sighed in annoyance. Joker's voice suddenly got their attention. He had somehow managed to find someone on the emergency channels and was speaking with them. Tristan and Shepard approached his chair and Joker patched them in. Apparently, it was the drell assassin that had helped Shepard stop the Collectors. If Tristan remembered correctly, his name was Thane.

"_Shepard. The Citadel is under attack. Cerberus troops are everywhere and they're in control of the docks."_

"Shit," Tristan murmured. Of all the people that had to be involved, it had to be Cerberus. She was sure the answers were as clear as day but she didn't want to see them. Not until they were so obvious, they would blind her.

Shepard gave her a concerned sideways look before focusing on Thane's transmission. "Are you safe?"

"_No. I had to evade their commandoes at the hospital. I'm in a Presidium storefront."_

"Did Kaidan make it out?" Shepard asked and Tristan could detect the slightest hint of desperation in her voice. Joker noticed it too because they shared a glance.

"_We got separated. He said he had to protect the Council. I'm going to C-Sec headquarters."_

"C-Sec?" Shepard repeated with a frown. "Why there?"

"_It's been compromised and C-Sec's response depends on it. As long as Cerberus is holding headquarters, they have the station."_

"All right. Joker, get us away from the docks and close to C-Sec HQ. We'll deploy in the shuttle," Shepard ordered. "Tristan? Tell James, Garrus and Javik to suit up."

Tristan did as she was told. Taking Javik along was a smart move because he was a slap in the face for Cerberus. Shepard was going to be taunting them with "look at what you could have gotten on Eden Prime" and while the ground troops would fully understand it, the Illusive Man certainly would. Garrus was also a good choice because he had a history with C-Sec so he was motivated and he also knew the layout of the Citadel well, considering he had lived there for a while. A part of Tristan suspected that James was coming along because of her. Cerberus tended to make things fuzzy but James' presence counteracted that. She had no idea whether to be relieved or frustrated that he was coming. Sure, knowing he was there would keep her in line but it would also prevent her from using her anger to fuel her biotics, making them even more destructive.

Everyone knew that there was something wrong and that the situation was tense. They had never deployed the shuttle to get onto the Citadel before nor had they ever gone fully geared up for a warzone. As such, everyone was taking things seriously and no one spoke unless it was absolutely necessary. Word quickly spread and by the time the ground squad was ready, the entire crew knew Cerberus had control of the Citadel. Tristan was impressed with how focused everyone else was. They put their heads down and got to work, looking for some way to stop Cerberus. The _Normandy_ was not planning on letting the terrorist organisation win this one.

The atmosphere in the shuttle was tense. Tristan couldn't stop the thoughts that kept popping up as she tried to make sense of the situation without jumping to the conclusion that was right in front of her. Despite the fact that no one actually liked Udina, Tristan wanted to believe that he wasn't capable of this because that would mean Humanity's representative – the one they all looked to for guidance and support; a symbol of their accomplishments and how far they had come as a race in the galactic community – had made such a stupid mistake that could potentially doom the entire galaxy to extinction. Perhaps all of this was actually a coincidence? Maybe Udina had a mistress that he was secretly supporting hence the large money transfers and Cerberus just picked this time to put their plan into action. That was a reasonable explanation. She wasn't one to live in denial but this was an unusual occasion.

Tristan had no idea just how involved in her own thoughts she was until James put a hand on her wrist to stop her hands from fidgeting. It was weird for her to be so antsy before a mission so she wasn't surprised to see him looking at her in concern. She didn't trust her voice so she attempted to smile reassuringly. James didn't buy it but there was no time to talk about it. Cortez had reached C-Sec HQ and there was complete chaos. Cerberus soldiers had he area surrounded and what few officers remained had been killed or were pinned down. Commander Bailey had been shot and was leaning against the wall, trying to kill as many Cerberus soldiers as he could. He was stronger and more determined than Tristan realised. As the shuttle neared a suitable place to drop in, Shepard looked from Tristan to Javik with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Tristan, think you can get over to Commander Bailey and protect him?" she asked. "He probably has information we could use."

"I can do that."

"Great. Javik, as soon as we land, I want you to create a barrier around the rest of us," she continued. "That way, we can kill a few soldiers before needing to duck behind cover."

"As you wish, Commander," Javik replied coldly.

Shepard nodded her head once. "Tris, we'll give you cover so you can reach Bailey."

Tristan nodded in understanding and took out her knife. The area up ahead was divided into three catwalks – one that led straight to the doors and Commander Bailey. The other two branched off to the left and to the right. There were a lot of crates, destroyed skycars and shield generators that Cerberus liked to bring with them. The Cerberus soldiers were crawling everywhere and in one glance, Tristan could tell that the only reason why Commander Bailey had not been executed was because he was being used as bait, regardless of whether he realised it or not. The direct route had little cover and provided a straight line of sight to the soldiers on the left and right catwalks. Cerberus _wanted_ them to rescue the Commander.

She steeled herself and tightened her grip on the knife's hilt. Cerberus may have had surprise on their side – and most likely, a traitor – and they had managed to create so much chaos that C-Sec couldn't respond but their time was up and Tristan had a few tricks up her sleeve. As soon as the shuttle was in position, Tristan jumped out and wasted no time in activating the tactical cloaking. The left catwalk had more Cerberus soldiers than the others yet it provided the second most direct route to Bailey. Tristan started to run left. Shepard and the others had dropped down and were laying out some supressing fire. Javik's biotics made Tristan's skin prickle uncomfortably but she ignored it.

An unlucky soldier stepped in her path to try to get a shot at Shepard and she reacted by plunging the knife into his chest, removing it and pushing him out of her way. A couple of nearby soldiers noticed this and immediately opened fire in the general area but they were shooting blind. Tristan crouched and then threw one of the biotic grenades into the middle of the group. A few surprised yelps followed as they were caught off guard and launched in various directions. One or two staggered to their feet while their comrades remained still. Tristan didn't have time to admire Dr Bishop's accomplishment as she continued to weave her way between Cerberus, killing those she could without slowing her down.

One of the Cerberus engineers had decided they had waited long enough and approached Commander Bailey with his pistol drawn. Bailey had run out of ammo and tried to back away from the engineer but his injuries prevented him from moving too far. Tristan was quickly gaining ground. She readjusted the grip on her knife and used her biotics to throw it as hard as she could. It hit the engineer square in the chest and knocked him clean off his feet. It was hard to tell who was more surprised: the engineer or Bailey. She deactivated her tactical cloak and walked over to Bailey. Besides looking pale and majorly pissed off, he was doing fine. The medi-gel had stopped his gunshot wound from bleeding and at a quick glance, it didn't look infected. Wordlessly, Tristan passed him a spare ammo clip and quickly retrieved her knife.

Her sudden reappearance had caught the attention of all he Cerberus soldiers in the area and as they shouted orders to focus on her, Shepard repositioned her squad so they were now in control of the battlefield. They were switching from defence to offense and Tristan took position in front of Bailey, putting up a barrier that was just large enough to protect the two of them. She watched as the others killed the remaining soldiers with little effort. As soon as the last soldier was killed, Tristan released her biotics and helped Bailey get to his feet. Even though he was still leaning heavily against the wall for support, this was a good sign. The others approached while casting cautious looks around the room. Cerberus had a nasty habit of dropping down through broken windows.

"Shepard," Commander Bailey greeted. "I saw those Cerberus troops on you. I thought you were done for."

"We have a lot of experience fighting Cerberus," Shepard explained with a half shrug. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting my ass shot off trying to retake headquarters," he answered and if anything, he sounded more annoyed than in pain. "Cerberus took it in the first push. We gotta kick them out of there. Everyone in C-Sec's flying blind without the network."

"What about the Councillors?" Garrus asked. "Are they still alive?"

"They split up," Bailey replied. "I'll know more if I can access a terminal inside."

Shepard looked at Tristan and she nodded her head once in reply. She crouched down in front of the door with her omni-tool open. Cerberus had locked down the doors but they hadn't done a very good job of it. They must have figured no one would get this close or they would have their hands full just trying to survive. With the omni-tool's advanced software, the door's lock changed from red to orange. Even though she was able to override the Cerberus lockdown, they still needed Bailey to unlock the door to get C-Sec authorization to pass the Citadel's emergency protocols so she looked over at him. He limped over to the main console.

"I'll get the door," he offered. "As long as no one interrupts me with a bullet this time."

Tristan stood up again and took a step back from the door as it opened. Shepard, James, Garrus and Javik advanced forward with their guns drawn, scanning every inch of the room as they moved. Tristan helped Commander Bailey to walk forward. While he was quite capable of walking on his own – or limping – they needed to take precautions in case Cerberus ambushed them. They kept walking until they stumbled upon a desk with a computer terminal. On his own, Bailey approached the desk and sat down in the chair, his attention fixed on the computer. Under Shepard's orders, the others fanned out to secure the area but Tristan hovered beside her.

"Here we go," Bailey announced. "C-Sec network access, courtesy of Cerberus."

Tristan raised an eyebrow at this new development. It wasn't like Cerberus to be this sloppy, no matter how convinced they were of their success. Come to think of it, Cerberus had exactly been at the top of its game lately…For the past couple of months, they had been making more mistakes. Tristan hadn't paid much attention to it but they were leaving logs of their activities in facilities they had borrowed from the Alliance, knowing full well they would want it back. Shepard had stumbled upon quite a few of these logs and other data numerous times. What role did the rogue faction play? A couple of months back, no one would have had the balls to betray the Illusive Man and now his own men were defecting right under his nose? Something wasn't adding up although Tristan was pretty sure that none of it was deliberate.

"What have you got?" Shepard's voice suddenly interrupted Tristan's musings and she realised she zoned out for a few moments. Thankfully, the question wasn't directed at her.

"A warning from Councillor Valern," Bailey explained. "He's supposed to be here, meeting with the executor. 'Be on guard – the likelihood of betrayal from within is high…' Not a lot else. But if he's inside…"

Tristan resisted the urge to curse, mostly because she had no idea how much information Shepard wanted Bailey to know. Things weren't looking good.

"Why would the councillor be meeting with the executor?" Shepard asked.

"Usually, it means someone big is about to be prosecuted," Bailey explained. "I guess that someone had Cerberus friends. The councillor would have a clearer picture…for all the good it does us."

Shepard was thoughtful for a second. "One councillor is better than none. Where am I going?"

Commander Bailey gave them directions and then used his omni-tool to patch in Shepard so they could talk. Shepard led the way into the next room and had a brief conversation with Thane. The room they now found themselves in was small and had barely any furniture although the wall had quite a few bullet holes in it. Shepard had paused to gather her thoughts. Cerberus would know they were here sooner or later which would only cause their attacks to become more desperate and this could lead to unforeseen consequences. They needed to be smart about this or they would lose the entire Council. Shepard turned to face them but her eyes lingered on a spot on the wall just behind them. Tristan curiously looked over her shoulder and found nothing more than a vent. When she looked back to Shepard, she was smiling.

"Oh no," Tristan argued defensively when she realised what Shepard was up to and ignored the others' confusion. "No. Never in a million years – no!"

"Come on, Tris," Shepard reasoned. "Cerberus will be expecting us, not you and while those vents may slow you down, you'll probably reach the executor's office before us. Besides, you're the only who can fit."

Garrus was trying his hardest not to laugh and James unsubtly turned his laugh into a very unconvincing cough. While Tristan seriously doubted this last point (Shepard probably could have fitted), she knew there was too much truth to it to argue.

"And what makes you think I'll know where I'm going?" she countered and crossed her arms in front of her chest defensively.

"Something you said on Mars about spending a lot of time in vents," Shepard replied evenly and she was trying to resist the urge to smirk.

Tristan tried to come up with a response and failed. "Dammit."

The comment had originally been meant as a joke although there was a lot of truth to it. Most escape plans or entries involved vents. Quite a few occasions where Tristan needed to access an otherwise inaccessible room, she had needed to use the vents. This did not mean she enjoyed it, however.

"Besides, you did say you wanted to do more spy stuff," Shepard pointed out.

"Great time to start taking me seriously," Tristan grumbled.

Shepard pointed at the vent. She was enjoying her victory far too much as she smiled smugly. "In you go."

Tristan rolled her eyes and then used her biotics to pull the vent cover off of the wall. As soon as it cluttered to the floor, she took a running start and jumped at the wall. It was just out of reach so she was forced to kick off the wall to propel herself higher. She was just able to grab the bottom of the vent and pulled herself into the constricting darkness.

"Oh God," she gagged.

"What?" Shepard demanded in alarm.

"The smell is horrible. When was the last time they cleaned in here?"

"Get moving, Tristan," Shepard ordered in her very un-amused Commander tone.

The vent was just big enough for Tristan to move around in and even though she would have preferred not to be in the vent at all, she was at least glad her new hardsuit made it easier to move around in it. It was dark and hard to see where she was going. If the smell was anything to go by, it was probably a good thing she couldn't see much. As she moved forward, she used her omni-tool to download blueprints of the Citadel (she had always wondered exactly why Black Ops had various maps of the Citadel until now) and started to navigate her way through the vents. It was a very good thing she wasn't claustrophobic.

In a matter of minutes, Tristan lost all sense of time and direction. There had been so many left turns or right turns that it was quite the labyrinth. Once or twice, she'd even had to climb up or down vents which put her abilities to the test. Quite a few times, she had to take detours because a large fan had been blocking her path and as she was no mechanic, she did not fancy fooling around with those things. On a handful of occasions, she'd even had to stop altogether as she overheard the conversations of Cerberus soldiers below the vents. Apparently, the Illusive Man had given strict orders to kill their inside man. It wasn't all that surprising but the inside man probably hadn't realised this.

After what felt like hours (in reality, it couldn't have been more than half an hour), Tristan stopped to catch her breath. She could feel sweat running down her back and her fringe was plastered to her forehead. Between the humidity in the vents and the exertion it took to manoeuvre inside, it was exhausting. Next time, Shepard was going in the vents so she could see how she liked it. The smell was at the bottom of the list of things that bothered Tristan at the moment. She examined the map on her omni-tool and was quite surprised to discover she was right above the executor's office. Up ahead, there was light shining through a grate and Tristan hurried towards it.

As she looked down, she was quite surprised by what she saw. The Salarian Councillor was still alive, somehow, and was currently in between a very pissed off Shepard whose shotgun was pointing at…Tristan's stomach turned to ice as she recognised the Cerberus assassin in his black armour and his long, black hair tied back: Kai Leng. For the first time in years, Tristan actually hesitated as fear gripped her. Of course it had to be bloody Kai Leng overseeing the coup to seize power on the Citadel. She hadn't thought about their last meeting in…at least a year. Subconsciously, her hand drifted to her chest as memories of a sword's blade going through her effortlessly flashed in her mind.

"He's going to kill us all."

The Salarian Councillor's voice was enough to bring Tristan back to the present and away from those dark thoughts.

"I seriously doubt that," Shepard replied as her shotgun never wavered for a second.

"I mean Udina," the Councillor corrected. "He's staging a coup. He's got the other councillors now – to hand over to Cerberus."

Tristan descended into her own thoughts once again. Udina _was_ responsible for this entire mess. Hundreds – if not thousands – of people on the Citadel lost their lives and would continue to do so unless Cerberus was stopped. He was putting his own selfish lust for power ahead of everything he should have stood for; everything that Shepard had accomplished to get Humanity a seat on the Council. And he was one of the main people to speak out against Shepard when there were rumours she was working with Cerberus. That hypocritical, selfish bastard… This was the slap in her the face that Tristan needed to get her thoughts away from Kai Leng. Despite the anger that now surfaced, she still couldn't move, knowing what was waiting for her. It was then that Thane made his appearance and engaged Leng in combat. She knew he was no match for the assassin with his sickness.

"To hell with fear," Tristan growled and removed the grating. It was time to put Dr Bishop's boots to the test.

The moment there was a break in the fight between Kai Leng and Thane, Tristan dropped down and in the back of her mind, she was impressed with the boots but she couldn't focus on that now. As she landed, she used her biotics to send out a controlled pulse that was enough to make Kai Leng stumble. It wouldn't have done any damage to him. Then again, that wasn't the point. He immediately turned to face Tristan and spun his sword, a smirk clear on his face. Tristan kept her expression neutral and drew her knife, holding it in a defensive grip. While her knife's blade was longer than the average knife, it wasn't nearly as long as the sword. Hopefully, that wouldn't matter.

"Tristan Chase," Kai Leng said in a mocking tone. "I see you survived our last encounter. How unfortunate."

She ignored the sound of her pounding heart and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Shepard moving the Salarian Councillor further back. In a situation like this, they needed to protect the Councillor and let Tristan do whatever was necessary. Shepard would remain out of it unless Leng made a move towards the Councillor. Tristan was on her own.

"I'm pretty hard to kill," she replied in a steady voice.

Kai Leng tilted his head thoughtfully. "We'll see."

He lunged at her faster than she thought possible and was only just able to get her knife up in time to block his attack. Between his weight and strength, he was able to push against her knife so the blade inched every closer to her throat.

"Very sloppy," he remarked with a predatory grin.

Fine. Kai Leng had the strength and the weight and the implants to make him faster and more agile. He had a stronger hardsuit and the longer blade. But Tristan had her wit and her flexibility. It was at that moment that she noticed Shepard telling James to stand down with a quick hand signal and Tristan realised she also had a reason to fight – something that went beyond simple credits. So, instead of just giving up like Leng obviously expected, she smiled at the assassin and suddenly shifted her weight so the locked blades were at her side and no longer bearing down towards her throat. The sudden shift caused Leng to stumble forward and Tristan was able to get her knife back.

Leng recovered quite quickly and what followed next was a flurry of extremely quick moves that were too fast to keep track of, including a very close call that resulted in Tristan's fringe becoming a bit shorter. Tristan used a mix of offensive and defensive moves to keep him off balance and she tried to remain just out of his reach. Leng was getting increasingly frustrated. Ordinarily, this would have been a great improvement. It was usually the time that her opponents would make their biggest mistakes, often leading to their downfall. But not Leng. Instead, he unexpectedly slammed her to the floor with his biotics. Tristan's knife cluttered out of her reach and Leng approached with his sword. As he was about to stab downwards with a satisfactory grin, she went onto Plan B.

The sword's blade suddenly glowed with biotic energy. It was the first trick up her sleeve that Tristan could think of and had only used once before. The biotic energy held the sword's very sharp point inches above her abdomen. Kai Leng fought against the energy as he put all of his strength behind the blade. Tristan refused to budge and grit her teeth from the exertion. Leng would not get her this time. He would no longer have a hold over her. She outright refused. Thane managed to catch her attention from just behind Leng and she realised the Drell had her back. Tristan tore eyes away and knew this timing had to be exact.

She increased her biotic power as much as she could afford which raised the sword up by another inch. Hopefully, that's all she would need. In the same second, she released the biotic energy completely and rolled to the side. The sound of the sword hitting the floor with no pain was extremely reassuring. It was at that moment that Thane reengaged Leng, giving Tristan the window to recover. As she watched Thane and Leng dance around each other with hurried blows, she remembered what it was that Leng had done as a finishing move. He was setting Thane up for the same thing. Leaving her knife forgotten on the floor, she ran up towards them. Thane had just staggered backwards after being punched in the stomach and Kai Leng raised his hand for a powerful biotic blow.

Tristan got their just in time and mimicked his posture, sending out as much energy as she could. There was a second of silence as the two competing biotics met and then the energy exploded, sending out a powerful shockwave. Thane was knocked off his feet and Kai Leng was slammed into a wall. Tristan ended up colliding with a table and went tumbling over the other side, taking the table with her. It hurt a lot and probably wasn't the smartest move ever but they were alive…for the moment. Kai Leng took that moment to run.

"Tristan?!" Shepard called out.

Tristan was still lying on the floor, trying to catch her breath again and making sure she hadn't dislocated her shoulder. "GO!" she yelled.

She could hear the heavy footsteps of the others as they ran after Kai Leng. Gunshots soon followed. Tristan unsteadily got to her feet and ran over to Thane. He was also sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. He was having a lot more trouble catching his breath.

"I owe you one, Thane," she remarked quietly.

Thane chuckled. "A friend of Shepard deserves nothing less."

It was then that he placed her knife in her hand. She smiled and pulled him onto his feet. What a pair they must have made, hurrying after Shepard. It had been a while since Tristan had pushed her biotics like that or since she had been slammed into a table so she was feeling lightheaded, a bit off balance and a little bit sore. Thane was keeping pace with her but his breathing was coming in ragged gasps. By the time they caught up, Kai Leng was just taking off on top of a skycar. Shepard was the first one to turn around and her concerned eyes immediately fell on Thane. At this point, Tristan had no idea who was supporting who anymore. The relief on James' face was clear and it made Tristan feel a bit better.

"Thane, are you all right?"

The Drell waved her off. "I have time. Catch him."

"I'm fine, by the way," Tristan interjected. "Thanks for asking."

Shepard winced guiltily. "Sorry, Tris."

It was then that Commander Bailey made contact. While they spoke, Tristan eased Thane onto the floor so he could have an easier time catching his breath and also started to munch on a biotic energy bar. It had never tasted so good before. Shepard led the others toward a C-Sec police model skycar and the door opened at their approach. Apparently, Commander Bailey was hooking them up.

"I've always wanted to drive a police car," Tristan announced. Shepard replied by shooting her a look and Tristan's excitement immediately evaporated. "Vents. Right." Then she dropped her voice lower. "I just helped defeat a Cerberus assassin but hey, let's rather go through the vents. That is _so_ much more rewarding than driving a police car."

She continued to mutter to herself sarcastically as she sought out another vent. She eventually found one and slowly started to make her way towards the coordinates that Shepard had sent her, courtesy of Bailey. Her back still hurt and she was pretty sure she hurt her shoulder when she landed on it. Having the tables turned on her so literally would have been funny if it hadn't hurt so much. This made it harder to move through the vents quickly, especially when she needed to climb up. Eventually, she got tired of this and used the vents to find an elevator. As soon as she was inside, she used her omni-tool to hack into it and pushed it as fast as it would go. The coordinates on the Council kept changing but she was steadily getting closer.

As soon as her elevator came to a stop, she was even more surprised than last time at the sight before her. The Turian and Asari Councillors as well as Udina were standing on a shuttle pad with Major Alenko in front of them. His gun was out and pointing at Shepard. Oh. This was going to get interesting. Tristan was too far away to make out any of the words they were saying to each other so she slowly approached with her own heavy pistol at the ready. She was able to just make out Udina trying to pin this all on Shepard, saying she was still with Cerberus. Tristan would have shot him right then but this needed to be between Alenko and Shepard. No one had noticed her yet so Tristan hung back.

Shepard made the decision to stand down but this order didn't apply to Tristan. She was following Udina's movements very closely. Udina made to override the elevator's lockdown and somehow, Shepard convinced Alenko to trust her. This would make so much more sense if Tristan could hear what they were saying but approaching would alert them all to her presence. Things went pretty bad pretty quickly. Alenko and Shepard both had their guns on Udina but Tristan knew them too well. They would both hesitate and regardless of Udina's crimes, whoever pulled the trigger would regret their decision.

Tristan started to walk forward with the perfect shot lined up: right between the eyes. Time seemed to slow down as she thought about taking this shot. Every fibre of her being yelled at her to take the shot yet there was a voice in the back of her mind that asked: _Is this really the kind of person you want to be?_ Her conversation with Shepard sprung to mind. She had always believed she didn't deserve to be happy and she'd made peace with that. Since meeting James, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to be that person anymore. She wanted to be the kind of person that deserved James' affection and an executioner didn't deserve it.

Tristan dropped her aim to Udina's right shoulder and fired. Everyone was startled by her sudden appearance as well as the gunshot. The shot had found its mark and Udina cried out in pain as his gun dropped to the floor. Tristan didn't stop walking nor did she look around. Her cold green eyes were locked on Udina, her gun still trained on him. Just because she let him live didn't mean she had to be happy about it. Alenko didn't even try to stop her as she passed. Udina made a move to grab his gun again but Tristan effortlessly kicked it out of his hand and placed her boot on his chest to keep him from moving. Once again, she lined up a headshot and no one would have questioned her for doing it.

"Do it," Udina spat.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "The penalty for treason is death." The area was silent enough that her voice carried with no effort. Udina was angry but there was also the slightest fear in his eyes. This shifted to surprise when she lowered her gun and then holstered it. "But death is too good for you. Dying is easy. Living with your decisions is the hard part."

"You're weak, just like Shepard," Udina cried out angrily.

Tristan actually laughed. "You think I'm doing you a favour? You don't know me very well, Udina but you've seen my record. How often have I granted mercy to anyone associated with Cerberus?"

Udina visibly paled. "Wh-what do you plan on doing to me?"

She knelt down. "With the Council's permission, I'll have you transferred to an Alliance Black Ops holding area. As you are well aware, we excel at…questioning traitors. I'm sure Dr Burtowitz will be particularly thrilled to see you again."

"You can't do that! I don't know anything!"

"And I'm sure the good doctor will be happy to confirm this. You're a traitor now, Donnel. _No one_ will take you at your word." She straightened and turned to walk away but then a thought occurred to her. "Oh, and by the way," she added over her shoulder. "Cerberus planned on killing you anyway."

With that, she walked towards Shepard and kept her gaze on the floor. She couldn't deal with how the others were looking at her – real or imagined – especially considering she had a hard time figuring out how she felt about all of this. There was no denying it: she wanted Udina dead and she wanted to be the one who kill him. She was too confused to deal with anyone and was quite relieved when Commander Bailey and C-Sec arrived on scene. It distracted everyone from focusing on her. As soon as she was sure no one would notice, Tristan made her way back to the _Normandy_. By the time she got there, the ship would have been able to dock, in theory. She needed a shower and a stiff drink…not necessarily in that order.


	18. From the Chaos

**I apologise for the delay. I hadn't expected so much work from university so my free time took quite the hit. I still have three projects to do that are all due next week. What this means is that I will not be able to squeeze in another chapter between then and now. I may be able to get started on the next chapter but it will not be done before Wednesday. Despite my best efforts, this is all I can do for this month. It seems every time I make a promise about posting, something pops up and screws it up. I'm hoping next month will be lighter in terms of workload. I think I only have 3 projects due throughout the month. I will try to get next month's chapters and this month's last two done but I don't want to promise anything in case that blows up in my face again. What I can promise is that I will try. Beyond that…I don't want to tempt the Universe into somehow creating more school assignments out of thin air.**

**Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It took me a little over two weeks to write due to work so if there are any continuity or spelling mistakes, feel free to let me know.**

**Please enjoy and review.**

**Chapter 18: From the Chaos**

In the chaos that followed the failed Cerberus coup, Tristan spent her time wandering the Citadel on her own, trying to make sense of her emotions. She wasn't avoiding anyone per se – even if she took out her radio – but she just wanted to be left alone. C-Sec had finally managed to re-establish communications and were getting rid of the last few stragglers that were too slow to escape with the main Cerberus forces and they were slowly restoring order. A few of the residents had emerged from their hiding places and were trying to find their missing loved ones or they were mourning over those they had lost. Whole sectors had been blocked off for repairs and casualties were high.

The _Normandy_ had been granted permission to dock shortly after and Tristan had a quick shower, changing into her casual clothes before departing once again. She had been quick enough to avoid everyone and she was pretty sure that Specialist Traynor had tried to stall her at one point, most likely as a favour to Shepard. Shepard was probably worried about her. Stalking off after a mission wasn't like her but Tristan was used to dealing with things on her own. Even before Dylan was killed in action, Tristan had to come to terms with her decisions and their consequences on her own, mostly because her missions were so classified, she couldn't talk about them to anyone. It had been a long time since a mission had bothered her this much.

A message soon arrived on her omni-tool and she was surprised to discover that it had come from Commander Bailey and had nothing to do with Shepard sending out a search party or demanding her swift return to the _Normandy_. Apparently, the Council had requested to speak with her inside the Human Embassy using Udina's office, of all places. This was unexpected and to further add to this, Tristan realised she had no idea where she was so it took some time before she was able to find her towards the Human Embassy. The Embassy was even busier than it had been and there were long lines of people waiting to speak with the representatives. There were also Asari soldiers, Volus representatives and an Elcor diplomat waiting around, for whatever reason.

Tristan walked down the all too familiar path to Udina's office and hesitated before entering. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately and she clenched her hands into fists out of frustration. Once she had her anger under control, she entered the office which was crawling with C-Sec officers who were tearing the place apart. They were looking for more evidence of Udina's treason and any plans he may have put into effect. There was also a possibility that he had records of other Cerberus sleeper agents or traitors on the Citadel so nothing was ignored. Even the plastic potted plants had been dissected and the remains left in a pile by the door to be disposed of, along with datapads and all of Udina's personal items.

The Councillors were standing on the balcony, looking out over the Presidium and having a quiet chat. The Turian Councillor was the first to notice her and waved her. At her approach, their whispered conversation ended abruptly and the C-Sec officers cleared out. The room was suddenly empty and very quiet. They turned to face her and they were all very serious – not that the Council was known for having a sense of humour. Tristan guessed she wasn't going to enjoy this conversation and she fought to keep her emotions under control, opting to adopt a more neutral expression. This discussion was probably going to involve the coup and other unpleasant topics.

"Agent Chase," the Turian Councillor greeted formally. "We apologise for the informal setting of this meeting but C-Sec has the Tower under lockdown. Commander Bailey wants to make sure that Cerberus did not leave any surprises for us."

"It makes sense," Tristan agreed. "As the leaders of the galaxy, you represent everything Cerberus is attempting to destroy."

"We wanted to thank you for the role you played in saving our lives," the Asari Councillor interjected. "Had it not been for you, Udina might have killed us all."

"Commander Shepard and Major Alenko would not have let that happen, Councillors. I just have a quicker trigger finger," she replied. All this gratitude was making her uncomfortable, especially if they were thanking her alone without their other rescuers.

The Salarian Councillor sniffed quietly. "There is something we hope you can explain." When he didn't continue, Tristan raised both of her eyebrows in an effort to keep him talking. "Why did you spare Udina? You know full well that the penalty for treason is death. You announced to the Citadel, after all."

"Udina's betrayal didn't happen overnight, Councillors. Cerberus wouldn't trust him with something so critical to their plans if he had just signed on," Tristan explained, going for the most logical reason instead of the thoughts in her mind. "He doesn't have the training or resistance of Cerberus agents nor does he possess courage. He can be a source of important information about Cerberus or possibly any booby traps they left behind, once he has been persuaded to talk."

The councillors shared a look that Tristan didn't even bother to figure out. If they disapproved of her answer, they said nothing and they chose to voice their disapproval quite frequently.

"And you are certain that the Alliance possesses the means to…persuade him?" the Asari Councillor asked carefully.

"As the representative for Humanity on the Council, Udina betrayed his own species more than the rest," she answered easily. Having to back up a decision made in the field was often a requirement of the job. "He led us all to believe that he could be trusted and that he had our best interests at heart. His betrayal will forever be a stain on our history. Ordinarily, someone would probably make the claim that as Humanity's Councillor he is the Alliance's responsibility but I believe his actions have given the Alliance a reason to find out everything they can." She looked to the Turian Councillor. "What would the Hierarchy have done if they were given the opportunity to question Saren?"

The Turian Councillor bowed his head in silent thought. "We would have stopped at nothing to get to the truth."

"We may not be as skilled as the STG in such matters but we are extremely motivated," Tristan finished, ignoring the displeased look she received from the Salarian Councillor. Confirming that the STG interrogated their prisoners in such a manner was not advisable.

The Asari Councillor looked to the Turian and he nodded his head once. She redirected her gaze to the Salarian and he also nodded. Then she looked back to Tristan. "Very well. Due to the role you played in defeating the attempted coup, the Council will accept your recommendation. C-Sec will make preparations to have Donnel Udina transferred to Alliance Black Operations custody as soon as possible."

"There is something else we wish to discuss with you," the Salarian Councillor added. "Udina's records indicate he requested a meeting with you shortly before the summit took place."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking if Udina attempted to persuade me to sabotage the summit?"

The Salarian Councillor narrowed his eyes dangerously but it was the Turian Councillor who cleared his throat. "He did not leave a note on the reasoning for the meeting so we were hoping you could…elaborate."

"Udina offered to make me a Spectre," she answered simply and as expected, all three Councillors were surprised. "But I turned it down."

"Did he give any indications as to why he selected you?" the Asari Councillor asked.

Tristan shook her head. "No and I didn't bother asking. I was trying to decide what to do about the offer."

"You said you turned it down. Why?" the Turian Councillor enquired and he sounded more curious than suspicious.

"The simple answer? I wouldn't make a very good Spectre," she replied with a shrug, trying to hide her impatience at the questioning.

"And the complicated answer?" he pressed.

Tristan sighed in slight annoyance. "Honestly? I don't trust politicians, as a general rule." The Salarian sniffed indignantly, the Asari raised both of her eyebrows and the Turian chuckled softly. "I trusted Udina even less. He pressed too hard and was more focused on what he could get than doing what he should. When he offered to make me a Spectre, I trusted my gut. It seemed like he was bending rules he shouldn't and I didn't want to owe him a favour because I would never be able to pay him back to his satisfaction and he has ways of manipulating people. I didn't want to be his patsy." When they looked at her in confusion, she tried to figure out another way to explain. "I didn't want to be the person he blamed for everything when things go wrong."

The Asari Councillor brought out a datapad. "Udina made the decision to make Major Kaidan Alenko a Spectre shortly after your meeting, bypassing a lot of procedures as you are no doubt aware. You fought alongside him when Admiral Hackett sent you to the Mars Archives. Do you believe he has any loyalty to Cerberus?"

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Aren't there better qualified people to answer this question?"

"You have shown unique insight and you have strong reasons to oppose Cerberus," the Salarian Councillor replied icily.

Despite her personal feelings towards Alenko, she knew this was not the time to vent them and she needed to remain professional. "Major Alenko is a solid soldier and talented biotic. He is completely loyal to the Alliance and didn't hesitate to kill any Cerberus agents while on Mars. Do I believe he is loyal to Cerberus? No. Do I think he'll make a good Spectre? Well, he saved your lives. I think you are better qualified to know the answer to that question."

"Thank you, Agent Chase. That is all," the Salarian dismissed her.

Tristan bit back any number of snarky replies and headed for the exit. She couldn't get out of that office quickly enough and she hadn't made it far when Commander Bailey called her into his office. This was also surprising. Given their history, she couldn't just ignore him and she entered the office, taking a seat opposite him. Despite getting shot in the leg, Bailey didn't look any worse for wear though he kept his movements to a minimum and his colour hadn't returned entirely.

"I'm guessing the Council weren't too vocal about their thanks," he remarked.

"I helped save all of them and they decide to interrogate me," she replied. "This is why I'll never become a politician."

"You and me both," he said and chuckled softly. "Commander Shepard is looking for you."

Tristan sighed. "So she called in the cavalry. I'm not surprised. What did you tell her?"

"That the Council summoned you to a meeting that might take a while."

"Did she mention dropping everything and making her way here to corner me and make sure I can't escape?" Tristan asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Not in so many words but something like that," Bailey answered. "There a reason you're avoiding her?"

"I just need time to think," she answered.

"I hear you," Bailey agreed and leant back in his chair.

Tristan smiled slightly. "Think you can give me a head start?"

"I can try but Shepard's a smart one," he pointed out.

"When she gets here, just let her know I've gone to Apollo's Café. Telling her now would be…counterproductive." When he gave her a sceptical look, Tristan got to her feet and shrugged. "If Shepard insists on following me around when she knows I want to be alone, I'm going to make her work for it."

Bailey smiled. "All right but if she threatens me, I'm telling her everything."

"Fair enough," she agreed. "And thanks."

She left his office and made her way straight to Apollo's Café. The meeting with the Council had proved to be annoying and the fact that it had taken place in Udina's office did not improve her mood. She still had no idea how to make sense of her various emotions or what she would do if she could go back and change things. Would she have killed Udina? Sometimes, it was far easier to be an ice queen and not care about anything. Tristan ordered the biggest ice cream sundae that the café offered with extra chocolate sauce and sprinkles. It was just as she stabbed the ice cream with the spoon in frustration that Shepard appeared and took a seat on Tristan's left. Unfortunately, the commander had come prepared and brought back up. James took the chair on the right and no one said anything. Tristan refused to look up from the ice cream.

"Tristan, I hope you have a good explanation for leading me around the Citadel and making me walk all the way to the Embassy before getting Bailey to tell me where you went?" Shepard asked. It sounded more like an attempt to break the silence than actual annoyance.

"I needed time to think without being asked if I was fine every five minutes," she answered and then glanced up quickly to see Shepard's disbelieving look before looking down again. "I'm used to dealing with things on my own and that's how I planned on doing it."

"Well, you aren't alone now and you have to get used to that," Shepard ordered in a strict voice.

Tristan raised an eyebrow and finally looked up from the ice cream. "You could follow your own advice, you know."

Shepard looked like she was about to argue and then she sighed in defeat. "That is a fair point but we are here for you. What's bothering you?"

Tristan didn't answer immediately, mostly because she didn't want to admit to her mistakes or look vulnerable around the two people she admired the most and had the closest relationships with. She glanced at James and noticed some concern but he was giving her space and time to answer however she wanted – if she wanted to - which was the complete opposite of Shepard's approach. It could have been the fact that Shepard was used to helping other people deal with their problems and this was uncharted territory for James.

She looked back to the brown mess in the bowl in front of her and sighed quietly. "My first instinct was to kill Udina the moment I saw him on the platform. He's a traitor and no one would have questioned it."

"But you didn't," James remarked.

"I wanted to and all my years of training and experience were telling me to pull the trigger, to end it…but I didn't," Tristan repeated.

"And you're wondering if you made the right decision," Shepard realised.

"In Black Ops, you're trained to kill with one shot. Shoot first, ask questions later, especially where traitors or double agents are concerned and I never deviated from that."

"So…why didn't you kill him?" Shepard asked. There was no judgement in her voice, only concern and a bit of curiosity.

Tristan wasn't quite ready to admit the real reason and she decided to take the logical route once again. "Udina might have information about Cerberus and I doubt he has the courage to withstand an interrogation." When she looked up again, she found that Shepard and James were both looking at her sceptically. Odd. Her poker face was usually much better.

"You wouldn't be drowning your sorrows in an ice cream sundae if it was something as straightforward as that," Shepard pointed out. "So…what's _really_ bothering you?"

Tristan crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back in her chair, her eyes focused on the surface of the table. It was true that the situation with Udina was not her main concern and she was just hoping she could get away with admitting to only that but Shepard knew her too well. Tristan couldn't avoid it now. "I hesitated."

"Because of Udina?" James asked in confusion.

She shook her head slowly. "When I saw Kai Leng. I…froze."

There was a slight pause which she guessed meant that Shepard and James were exchanging a look.

"That's a normal thing for a lot of soldiers," Shepard tried to sound reassuring.

"Not for me," Tristan argued. "When have you ever seen me hesitate?"

Shepard pursed her lips when she couldn't answer that question. Tristan had a tendency, even as kids, to dive right into a situation whether or not the odds were in her favour and she somehow always managed to survive…although that could have something to do with Shepard scrambling in after her to help.

"Why did you hesitate?" James asked.

"Because…" she drifted off, not wanting to actually answer the question. Then she sighed and tried again. "Because a part of me is afraid of him after the last time we crossed paths."

"You're afraid of him?" Shepard repeated in surprise. "You've never been afraid of anything in your entire life!"

Tristan gave Shepard an unimpressed look. "You're not exactly helping."

"Sorry." Shepard managed to compose herself. "What happened the last time you crossed paths?"

Tristan shifted in her seat uncomfortably and then leant forward, leaning her arms on the surface of the table. Once again, she focused on the ice cream, trying to avoid eye contact. Another reason why she was used to dealing with things on her own was because she was never very good at sharing things with others. Most information was only shared on a need to know basis or if asked a direct question. In Black Ops, that typically referred to mission-related facts and not personal drama. This was so far out of her comfort zone that her comfort zone could probably send postcards. It was also unpleasant to talk about her failures, whether they had been her fault or not, especially around Shepard who was such a success that death couldn't even stop her.

Much to her surprise, James reached over and took her hand. The contact was reassuring and she didn't pull away but she didn't look up either. "You remember our conversation when you asked how I ended up on the _Normandy_ as Anderson's XO?" Tristan began quietly.

Shepard was quiet for a moment. "Yes." She was obviously confused as to what this had to do with Kai Leng.

"And how I was on Arcturus Station recuperating from an injury?" she continued.

"Yes," Shepard answered but there was an angry edge to her voice and James' grip tightened ever so slightly. Kai Leng was in serious trouble the next time he was dumb enough to mess with Shepard.

"Well, I was on a mission to investigate a facility that went dark. It was a civilian research base but because they had done some work for the Alliance in the past, the Alliance wanted to make sure there wasn't a security breach so they sent me in for simple recon. It became pretty clear that things weren't what they appeared when I first arrived, considering all of the scientists were suddenly pro-Cerberus and wanted to get rid of all aliens in surprisingly violent ways. In hindsight, they were probably a test group for whatever the Illusive Man is doing to ensure loyalty," Tristan explained.

"How does Kai Leng fit into all this?" Shepard asked, sounding a bit confused rather than angry.

"You think the Illusive Man would run a test without some insurance? Kai Leng was the security overseeing things. At first, I didn't even know who he was, other than some dude with a ponytail. He made me as Alliance almost immediately and things went pretty downhill from there. The scientists turned on me and I had very clear orders not to injure the civilians. I managed to get a call out to the Alliance and Anderson knew who he was almost immediately. He warned me not to engage and promised he would send me reinforcements. I just had to stay below the radar. Only, Leng had other ideas. After blowing up half the facility, he forced me into a confrontation. I didn't know anything about him so I wasn't able to anticipate some of the moves he'd learnt in the N7 program and working for the Illusive Man. He used his biotics to knock me off balance, like he almost did to Thane, and then…" She swallowed as the memory resurfaced in very vivid detail. "Then he stabbed me in the chest. His sword missed my heart by millimetres. Even then, if the reinforcements hadn't arrived when they did, I would have bled to death."

"He is so dead," James threatened under his breath.

"Agreed," Shepard replied.

Tristan almost smiled. It was strange to hear two people so ready to kill someone based on what had been done to her. It had never happened before as most people said people trying to kill agents was all part of the job description. Tristan knew this was true so she didn't understand why Kai Leng scared her enough to make her hesitate. No other near death experience had such long lasting effects. Perhaps it was because he was so ready to kill her and not just some agent or busybody sticking their nose where it didn't belong or maybe it was because he was going to take a lot of pleasure from ending a life. Regardless, she was a bit ashamed of her fear and having to admit it out loud in words.

Shepard must have picked up on this. "There's nothing wrong with being scared, Tris. Those first few weeks after Cerberus…after I woke up, I was terrified of space. Every time I looked out a window, I froze. A Marine scared of space?" She snorted at the idea. "But I got past it and so did you. You kicked Kai Leng's ass and you even saved Thane's life."

"And that table didn't stand a chance," James added innocently.

The attempt at humour had been so unexpected that Tristan chuckled. "That table didn't see me coming, did it?"

While Tristan and James shared a good chuckle, Shepard rolled her eyes good naturedly. At least she was laughing and felt a bit better.

James then eyed the ice cream curiously. "I have to ask…"

"Why ice cream?" Tristan finished for him. "Well, it's really hard to get a biotic drunk and we don't get hangovers either. The more powerful the biotic, the harder it is and the more alcohol is required. So, I find ice cream is much better…and cheaper."

They sat for a little while longer until James suggested that Tristan joined him for a game of poker in the refugee sector in the docks. While he had claimed it was to distract her and get her mind off things, she was pretty sure he just wanted her around to read the Batarian that kept beating him and winning a lot of his credits. While Tristan wasn't particularly interested in playing poker, she agreed. Shepard said that they would still remain on the Citadel for a while. After the coup, C-Sec had lost quite a few men and there was so much to do so Shepard was helping out wherever she could, as a Spectre and as a friend to Commander Bailey.

It was a few hours later that Tristan decided to return to the _Normandy_. After helping James beat the Batarian at a few hands, they went to Purgatory for a few drinks where they crossed paths with Jack again and shared a few drinks with her, moaning about Cerberus and coming up with a few new nicknames for the Illusive Man. With her mood much better than it had been that morning, Tristan had decided she probably owed Specialist Traynor an apology and also probably needed to report in to Admiral Hackett. While riding the elevator to the docks, Shepard ended up joining her and looked quite exhausted.

"Well, you look like you're feeling better," Shepard observed.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "And you look like crap."

Shepard smiled. "And you like to keep saying that."

Tristan only smiled innocently in answer. The elevator doors opened to reveal the docks and they started to walk towards the _Normandy_'s airlock.

"How did poker go?" Shepard asked.

Tristan shrugged. "I still don't see the appeal of it. The Batarian was almost as easy to read as Joker, despite what James told me although he was pretty excited when the Batarian stalked off angrily after I helped him win a couple of times."

"I watched James play against that Batarian. He was impossible to read," Shepard argued in annoyance.

She shrugged. "And that is why I don't play poker. Too easy."

"And you would prefer something more…life threatening, I take it?" Shepard teased.

Any retort Tristan had was completely lost when the airlock opened and Tristan and Shepard stopped dead in their tracks out of shock. Major Kaidan Alenko was wearing his off duty uniform and there was a duffle bag sitting by his feet. Obviously, he had been waiting for Shepard to return. When the airlock opened, he turned to face them. He and Shepard stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. Tristan was about to leave when Shepard suddenly grabbed her wrist in a tight grip. Apparently, she wasn't going anywhere, no matter how much she wanted to avoid the awkward situation that was bound to arise.

"Major Alenko," Shepard greeted politely.

Alenko frowned at the use of his rank but he pushed forward. "Hackett offered me a position but I'd turn it down in a second if it meant I could return to the _Normandy_."

Tristan had expected Shepard to agree almost immediately but her face was clear of all emotion. It was strange, considering Shepard had nearly set a new speed record in her haste to see him when he was still recovering in the hospital. Yet now, she was not giving anyone indication of what she was thinking. Alenko was trying very hard not to let this bother him but it still showed on his face. Shepard was the complete opposite. Their showdown before must have really hurt Shepard deeply. Tristan tried to pry her wrist free very subtly and Shepard only tightened her grip. Tristan had to resist the urge to give her best friend an impatient look and continued to look at Alenko with a mildly curious expression.

"Would you be willing to follow my orders without question?" Shepard asked calmly.

Alenko's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Of course."

Shepard nodded her head stiffly once. "Welcome aboard then, Major. Agent Chase will find you somewhere to stay. If you'll excuse me, I need to report in to Admirals Hackett and Anderson."

She departed quite quickly and disappeared onto the _Normandy_. Tristan watched her march off with a somewhat perplexed look, not entirely sure of what just happened. It took a few awkward moments until Tristan indicated that Alenko should walk ahead of her. He picked up his duffle bag and walked alongside her until they were able to board the _Normandy_. Sure enough, there was no sign of Shepard at all. She had simply disappeared.

"Huh," Tristan remarked softly and Specialist Traynor gave her a quizzical look from her station, probably wondering why Shepard had sped past so quickly.

It was at that moment that EDI chose to walk past, presumably on her way to the AI core to get some peace and quiet, as she liked to do on occasion. To say that Alenko was startled was an understatement. He jumped back and instinctively reached for the gun that should have been holstered on his hip. EDI had paused in her walking and turned to face them curiously. When it was clear that EDI would not harm him, Alenko dropped his arms but he did not stop staring. It took Tristan a moment longer to realise exactly why he had reacted in that manner. The crew was so used to seeing EDI walk around now that they no longer saw her as a threat or as Dr Eva Core.

"Major Kaidan Alenko, meet EDI," she introduced somewhat inelegantly.

"Major Alenko," EDI greeted and clasped her metallic hands behind her back. "It is good to see that you have recovered."

Alenko looked between the two as if they were insane. "Isn't that the robot from Mars?"

"Yes," Tristan answered. "However, EDI deleted the programming of Dr Core and took over the body. She's perfectly safe."

"Unless I am overcome by the urge to kill," EDI replied. Tristan smirked while Alenko paled. "That was a joke."

"EDI, you need to have a conversation with Joker about comical timing," Tristan remarked with an amused shake of her head. "Major Alenko is now a member of the crew."

"Acknowledged, Agent Chase. I will have his clearance updated," EDI assured. "Is there anything else?"

"No, thank you, EDI."

EDI nodded in acknowledgement and continued on her way.

"So," Tristan began and began pointing in various directions. "Down that way is the cockpit. That door leads to the War Room and Comms. Specialist Traynor is our data analyst." Then she led the way to the elevator, choosing to go to the third deck. "Top floor is Shepard's loft but invitation is required." While the elevator descended, she continued to explain the key features of each floor as well as the important personnel. Once the doors opened, they stepped out and Tristan cast a look around. "I think there might be room in the crew quarters if you want to get settled in there. The Port Observation Deck is also free. No one really goes in there much."

Alenko gave her a curious look. "This is a step up from threatening me."

"It's still early," she answered easily. "Now, there are two crew members you should avoid: Javik and Diana Allers."

"Why's that?" Alenko asked.

"Well, Diana is a reporter who is determined to get all the details, even though Shepard is the only one cleared to give her any information and Javik…well, that will become fairly obvious once you've been introduced."

"And how will I know them?"

"Diana is the only one who wears a dress and you'll know Javik when you see him," Tristan explained.

Alenko gave her a sceptical look but once it was clear her helpful streak was over, he headed towards the Port Observation Deck. Tristan headed over to the Mess Hall and made herself a cup of coffee. It had been a long day yet her mind was far too busy to actually get any sleep. A few other crew members returned to the _Normandy_ to catch up on their sleep too. There was no indication of where they needed to go next so for the time being, they were hanging around the Citadel until they got new orders. It would also help morale for the crew if they got some time to rest and relax and get some time off ship where guns were not involved.

Tristan drank her coffee slowly and Shepard still did not emerge from her hiding place. Best case scenario? She was finally getting some rest. Worst case scenario? She was agonising over Alenko's presence and driving herself insane over it. Tristan had to sigh at the thought. Shepard was really good at agonising over the little things until they became really big things. Tristan finished her coffee and then folded her arms on the table's surface before resting her chin on the back of her hands. How had today gone so pear shaped? As if dealing with the Reaper invasion wasn't enough. And to add to the fun, there was now ship drama. There was no doubt in Tristan's mind that Diana would try to get close to Alenko – either for professional or personal reasons – which would then just add to the awkwardness on board. While it was true that Shepard could keep things professional at all times, Alenko was not that good at it. And he also had strained relationships with Garrus and Joker. It would also probably be a while before he would accept EDI too.

Tristan changed her position so that her hands remained where they were but her forehead was now resting against the table and she had also pushed her chair back further to get more comfortable. There were still a few things about Udina's coup that didn't make sense and while Tristan had been thinking about other things, she hadn't been able to consider these other questions. How long had Udina been working for Cerberus? Was it a recent development, such as when Anderson had been named Councillor instead of him? Or had Udina always been working for Cerberus? Had it been a result of frustration or was it much more prejudicial than that? Udina had always had very pro-Humanity beliefs but could vocal pride in being human have hidden darker thoughts about racial superiority?

It was then that the distinctive sound of footsteps carried in the silence of the Mess Hall. Tristan could easily eliminate a long list people. The footsteps were too heavy for any female crew member yet too soft to belong to any of the non-Alliance members. James was hardly subtle and Lieutenant Cortez rarely left the Cargo Hold. Engineer Adams spent most of his time in the crew quarters when he wasn't in Engineering and Donnelly would have greeted her with some lame Scottish pickup line the moment he laid eyes on her. That left only one possibility. Alenko hovered a few steps away from the table, almost as if wondering if he should come closer. He obviously wasn't here for the coffee.

"What?" Tristan demanded although her voice was somewhat muffled by the table.

"I need to talk to you," Alenko answered.

Tristan lifted her head enough to look at him and raised an eyebrow. "Can't you see I'm meditating?"

Alenko didn't quite know how to respond to that so he decided to explain what he wanted to talk about. "I need to talk to you about Shepard…more specifically, I need advice."

"You broke it, you fix it," Tristan advised in the same uninterested tone. Alenko was not impressed with this answer and clenched his jaw in annoyance. Just as he turned to leave, Tristan sighed in defeat. "Sit."

Alenko regarded her for a moment before hesitantly taking the seat opposite her. "Shepard's been avoiding me ever since she let me re-join the crew. I know things got tense back on the Citadel when I had my gun on her and she was aiming at me but-"

"Udina," Tristan interjected.

Alenko frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Shepard was aiming at Udina," she elaborated. "Not at you. She could have pulled that trigger and ended things the moment she got off the elevator."

He didn't know where this was going. "Then why didn't she?"

"Because she wanted you to understand all the facts and know that she was telling the truth. It's easy to say you're right when everyone has the facts afterwards so she wanted to make sure you were on her side before doing anything," Tristan explained patiently, resisting the very strong urge to be condescending towards him.

He didn't answer for a long while. "Then why is she avoiding me now?"

Once again, she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Shepard believes you don't trust her and honestly, I'm not surprised. After dealing with the Collectors, she turned herself in and prepared to face the full consequences of her actions and you still believe she is with Cerberus. After being under house arrest for six months without any way to contact the outside world – me included - you still accuse her of working for Cerberus. On Mars, even though she killed every Cerberus soldier she crossed paths with without hesitation, you still refuse to take her word for it. And now? You just pulled your gun on her. You told her you could move past it while you were in the hospital but you were still willing to believe the accusations of someone else who didn't know her beyond a professional capacity over her word. Shepard is hurt and she doesn't know where she stands with you. Hell, she can't help but wonder if you're here to take the _Normandy_ from her, as you are now technically her superior officer."

Alenko let this process for a few moments longer. "I am an idiot."

"Hey, you won't get any arguments here," Tristan pointed out.

"What do I do?" he asked, almost desperately.

"You know Shepard just as well as I do. Actions speak louder than words to her," Tristan answered as she peered into her empty coffee mug, hoping it had magically refilled itself. "Although an apology might be a good start. Show her she can trust you as a soldier and member of her crew first before progressing any further." She put the mug down in disappointment and looked at Alenko. "If you ever want to get back to where you were before, then you need to take things slow. She can't worry about where she stands with you when the entire galaxy is putting enough pressure on her already. She won't thank you for that."

"How do I show her she can trust me and that I trust her?" Alenko asked.

It sounded rhetorical but Tristan decided to answer it anyway. "Helpful tip? Don't accuse her of working for Cerberus again." When Alenko gave her an annoyed look, she shrugged innocently. "You've done it enough times that I figured you could use the reminder."

"Fair enough," he decided quietly. "Anything else?"

"Sorry," she answered. "It's your problem now."

"But how am I supposed to apologise when Shepard won't even stay in the same room as me for longer than a few seconds?" he asked.

"Biotic stasis?" she suggested innocently. When he was about to retort, Tristan cut him off. "Look, Shepard will know if I'm helping you and while I'm not particularly worried about facing her wrath, you'll do better in her eyes if you figure this out on your own. I might be able to get her to stay in a room long enough for you to talk but I can't make that sort of promise. Despite my teasing, she is very good at disappearing when she wants to avoid something."

"Thanks," Alenko replied and got to his feet.

It sounded more like he was trying to be polite than actually feeling gratitude. Tristan watched him leave before returning to her earlier position with her head against the table. This conversation had raised a few new questions that Tristan hadn't considered before. Was it just coincidence that Alenko and Shepard had an epic face off on the Citadel? Or had Udina meant for that to happen? And why choose Alenko to become a Spectre and then put him in that position against Shepard? Udina of all people would have known their history and how close they had become. Why would he take that chance? Hang on. Why would he offer Tristan Spectre status? She was pretty close with Shepard too… The last pieces fell into place.

Tristan sat bolt upright in her chair at the sudden realization. "Son of a bitch!"

Liara unexpectedly let out a startled squeak in the chair beside her which then caused Tristan to jump. She had expected to be alone so she looked at the Asari in puzzlement. To further add to this confusion, Shepard was in the chair opposite her with James, Garrus, Joker, Alenko and Traynor spread around the rest of the table. How long had they been sitting there for? They were all looking at her in a range of confusion and amusement. Despite the confusion, Tristan noticed almost immediately that Shepard was still putting as much distance as possible between her and Alenko.

"Dreaming about the gingerbread man that keeps getting away again?" Shepard asked innocently.

Tristan ignored the entirely too-smug smirk on James' face and Shepard's very pleased expression. "I'll have you know that I'll catch that bastard one of these days," she retorted. "But no. 'Dreaming' would imply 'sleeping' and I was doing neither."

"Geez, Commander," Joker defended and Tristan did not like his tone at all. "Don't you know she _meditates_?"

Tristan narrowed her eyes playfully. "Careful, Moreau. I can still kill you with my mind." When Joker choked on his coffee when he laughed, Tristan looked around again. "How long have you been here for?"

"Not long," Garrus answered.

"Wait. How long have I been here for?" Tristan realised.

"A few hours," Alenko supplied helpfully.

"Then why didn't someone let me know you were here?" she asked.

"EDI advised against it," Liara explained. "Apparently, you don't appreciate having your…meditations interrupted."

There were a few more amused snickers and smirks. Tristan wasn't quite used to people ganging up on her like this. It had been years since it had last happened. Even so, it was good to see that the crew could actually have fun from time to time.

"So, if you weren't dreaming, sleeping or meditating, what were you doing?" Shepard asked, still very amused.

"Thinking," Tristan answered.

"About?"

"Udina."

And just like that, the humour disappeared in an instant and a dark cloud descended over the Mess Hall.

"I thought we already talked about you not killing him," Shepard remarked.

"We did," Tristan replied. "I wasn't thinking about that. I was trying to make sense of a few things he did before the coup."

"Such as?" James asked.

"I was mostly trying to figure out how long he had been working for Cerberus and why he would offer me and Alenko Spectre status," she answered as she peered into her empty coffee mug once again to see if someone had refilled it for her. When she realised the silence was stretching longer than usual, she looked up to find everyone was staring at her. "…what?"

"You just casually mention that you were made an offer to become a Spectre and are surprised when we want more information?" Shepard retorted.

Tristan shrugged dismissively. "I declined so it isn't a big deal."

"You declined?" Liara repeated.

"I didn't trust Udina. He made it feel like he was doing me a favour and I didn't want to owe him one," she explained. When Shepard gave her a look, she decided to elaborate. "When he made the offer, it only came from him. The rest of the Council wasn't involved which was odd and the last time I had a meeting with Udina, he was intent on having me fired. What did he call me?" She was silent as she tried to remember the exact quote. "Ah yes. He said I'm an "undisciplined hooligan with no respect for authority'."

"That kind of sums you up, doesn't it?" James teased.

"Hey," she defended in a teasing tone. "I am not undisciplined."

"That's the part you take issue with?" Shepard asked and shook her head in amusement. "So…why is Udina a son of a bitch, aside from the obvious reasons?"

"Well, he offered to make me a Spectre and then turns around and offers it to Alenko," Tristan explained. "We're two completely different people with opposite approaches to dealing with missions so let me ask you: what do we have in common?"

"You're both biotics?" Traynor ventured quietly.

"Guess again," Tristan ordered and gave Shepard a very pointed look.

Shepard returned the look with a blank one of her own and then a look of realisation followed. "You both have a history with me."

Tristan nodded, taking this conversation very seriously. "And we both hate Cerberus to such a degree that our anger often overrides rational thought. We would have felt the worst kind of betrayal when you worked alongside Cerberus."

"Your Spectre-ship was his contingency plan," Shepard realised.

"Exactly. If you were in a position to ruin Cerberus' plans, he expected our anger and hatred to come first. He has no history with Cerberus so he counted on us taking him at his word over yours – someone who has freely admitted to partnering with Cerberus before," Tristan continued. "You were Udina's scapegoat but because he has never truly been loyal to anyone else other than himself, he miscalculated."

"And I played right into his hands," Alenko murmured under his breath.

"Politicians are master manipulators," Tristan pointed out.

"Now I really wish you killed him," Garrus remarked and there was the barest hint of amusement.

"I don't," Tristan replied, much to everyone else's surprise especially after her earlier moping. "What I said is true: living is the hard part. Udina now has to live with the fact that his plan failed on such an epic scale that the Council is further indebted to us and the Asari are now interested in the Crucible when they previously wanted nothing more to do with it. The coup had some unexpected outcomes that will benefit us while he is rotting in a cell with the knowledge he helped us and he was never a true ally of Cerberus."

"I hate it when you make sense," Shepard commented without even the slightest trace of annoyance.

Tristan smirked. "It happens rarely enough that I can't even hate you for that comment."

"What happens to Udina now?" Traynor asked.

"My sources say that he has been transferred to Alliance Black Ops custody," Liara answered.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "How did you manage that?"

Tristan smiled innocently. "With my wit and charm." Before anyone could gang up on her again, she continued speaking. "Once he arrives at one of our holding areas, our best interrogator will take a crack at him to find out what he knows." Shepard pursed her lips in disapproval and Tristan rolled her eyes. "Relax. Despite his fearsome reputation, the good doctor is a psychologist who happens to be particularly adept at mind games. I once saw a Terra Firma spy break down into tears. It was quite disturbing actually, hearing a grown man cry. He then willingly turned into a double agent because the doctor helped him. It was a rather odd turn of events."

"And I do believe you've stopped making sense," Shepard mused with some amusement.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Tristan retorted. "The point is, we'll find out everything Udina knows without laying a finger on him. What happens after that is up to my boss to decide."

"You mean Admiral Hackett?" Shepard asked.

Tristan shook her head. "I was only on loan to Hackett and Anderson while I was on Arcturus and then Earth…and now, I suppose. My actual boss is Director Smith although Assistant Director Wolfe handles missions. The final decision is up to Smith and he isn't really known for his mercy, especially towards traitors. I've never known him to spare the life of a traitor, regardless of how helpful they've been or their reasons. He isn't particularly fond of Cerberus either."

"How 'not fond' are we talking?" James asked.

"He makes it look like me and Cerberus are BFFs."

"So, the chances of Udina walking away from this are slim," Shepard guessed.

"Pretty much."

"I didn't think you were capable of being a bearer of good news," Shepard added.

Tristan wanted to retort but she couldn't come up with anything. They descended into idle conversation and she noticed Alenko was being particularly quiet while Garrus, Joker and Shepard barely said anything to him. It wasn't surprising to see. Liara was attempting to get him to talk more though and Traynor looked a bit out of place. It was rare to see her away from her console near the Galaxy Map. It wasn't long until Shepard was summoned by Hackett. Alenko excused himself shortly after and Traynor returned to her station. Liara scurried off towards her office to analyse more data and Garrus mentioned something about calibrations. Joker struck up a conversation with James, most likely in an effort to learn his tell, and Tristan was content to listen. She had done far too much thinking lately and it was nice to relax after the day she'd had.


	19. Possibilities

**Spoiler warnings: This chapter does contain very slight spoilers for **_**Paragon Lost**_** and major spoilers for the DLC **_**Leviathan**_**. If you haven't yet watched **_**Paragon Lost**_** and want all the details to remain secret, then I would recommend skipping the first bit of this chapter. If you haven't yet played **_**Leviathan**_**, then this chapter and the two that follow won't be for you.**

**Chapter 19: Possibilities**

It had been a few days since the _Normandy_ left the Citadel. Shepard had picked up quite a few missions that involved visiting planets in Reaper controlled space to extract people or collect items of value in exchange for promises of support. There were some pretty odd requests, such as the Pillars of Strength and a Prothean Obelisk while others were more normal, such as extracting the Shadow Broker's assassins and the like. The longer the war raged, the harder it was to reach some planets and even entire systems as the Reaper forces slowly spread throughout the galaxy. Fortunately, the _Normandy_'s stealth systems did give them an advantage which also meant every person and their dog wanted Shepard's help. It was a strange way to gather support but hey, if it worked, who was Tristan to criticise it?

Being confined to a single place did nothing to improve the awkwardness on board the _Normandy_. Shepard still avoided Alenko like the plague and Joker wasn't helping the situation at all with his sarcasm. Members of the _Normandy SR-1_ had welcomed him back with open arms and the new members of the _SR-2_ were remaining civil. Garrus and Liara were making an effort to be polite but they both knew what had happened on Horizon. Garrus had been there at the time and was less forgiving than Liara. Tristan remained silent, watching for the best time to convince Shepard to talk to Alenko. She wasn't an expert on personal relationships and didn't particularly want to get involved in Shepard's but they needed to sort this out…whatever 'this' was. The crew was feeling the effects and Tristan did not enjoy seeing Shepard look so guarded all the time.

It was painful to watch as Shepard awkwardly adopted her commander persona whenever Alenko spoke to her. There was nothing she could do just yet. Shepard was already tense about the lack of new orders coming from Alliance Command and nightmares still plagued her sleep. An intimate talk with her ex-boyfriend person thing was the last thing she needed. It was obvious that Alenko was growing impatient and frustrated but if he didn't approve of Tristan's careful (for once) approach, there was nothing stopping him from doing something himself. Tristan still didn't quite approve of him although the fact that he was fast becoming James' new poker buddy meant that Tristan was inadvertently spending more time around him than she had planned.

Tristan was in her quarters, sitting on her bed with her back resting against the wall and her knees propped up. A datapad was resting against her legs as she reviewed more data that had been forwarded to her. There was more video about Reaper attacks to analyse their tactics as well as a report about Udina. There was no new information there, except he was proving to be reluctant to completely admit to his allegiance to Cerberus. He was attempting to word it in such a way that made it sound like it was merely a coincidence. Obviously, no one believed a word of it. They had the financial records to prove it and Udina was not as good a liar as he thought. He was proving more resistant to interrogation than anyone had anticipated though. It was likely more stubbornness than actual bravery.

The videos about the Reapers were interesting, however. There was no noticeable change in their tactics, despite the various races they were fighting. They would send in their ground forces of husks, cannibals, marauders and brutes to handle the soldiers which also had the secondary effect of demoralising the troops. Then the mini-Reapers (normal people referred to them as Destroyers) would accompany the ground forces and destroy buildings, aircraft and evacuation shuttles. The Reapers would remain in orbit to attack any reinforcements and a few would land on the planet's surface, occasionally taking prisoners or indoctrinating key leaders whenever they could. According to Admiral Anderson, the Reapers were more focused on capital cities though this didn't stop the ground forces from swarming the less populated areas.

Tristan was about to leave to ask Javik for some information. They weren't exactly the best of friends but Javik had shown an interest in topics where military strategy would come in and asking for more information on Reaper tactics would make for a polite conversation…or at least less death threats would be involved. Well, that was the theory anyway. As the door opened at Tristan's approach, she was quite surprised to find James was lingering there. There was no sign of his usual amusement or good mood which was unnerving. It also wasn't like him to hesitate before coming into her quarters. At some unknown point, the crew had decided that their XO had an open door policy and many people had dropped by unexpectedly to fulfil the 'people person' requirements of her position.

In any case, Tristan didn't immediately say anything, waiting to see if James had an explanation. When he still didn't say anything, Tristan cleared her throat. "James." It was both a greeting and a question.

"Tristan," he returned and the lack of her nicknames (he had given her another nickname of 'Ace' after beating the Batarian) further added to her concern. "You busy?"

"Just analysing Reaper tactics," she answered.

"That sounds important," James replied, almost as if he was looking for a reason to leave.

"Not really. I tend to do this once a week at this point," she explained and sadly, this was not an exaggeration. "Is…something wrong?"

"Do you have some time to talk?" he asked hesitantly and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. This was a conversation he was not looking forward to having. "I…want a second opinion about something."

Tristan wasn't entirely sure how good she would be at giving a second opinion or if she could even be the kind of support James was obviously looking for. Regardless, he had been there for her at a crucial time and she owed it to him to at least try. She took a step back to let him come in and indicated her couch. While he took a seat, she tossed the datapad onto her bed and sat down beside him. He was leaning forward with a look of indecision and…something else that Tristan couldn't quite place. Following his earlier example, Tristan decided to let him speak in his own time and didn't press him. Whatever this was, it weighed heavily on his mind.

"Somehow, someone important managed to track me down," James began carefully. "I was offered a spot in the N7 programme when this Reaper business is done."

"That's great," Tristan praised enthusiastically and then noticed his dark expression. "…isn't it?"

"Sure," he answered with none of the right emotions.

Tristan regarded him closely. "So what's the problem, then?"

He shrugged in indecision. "I don't…I just don't think it's for me."

The N7 programme only recruited soldiers that were tough and could adapt in the field and had a wide range of skills. They needed to be able to follow orders and work in a team while, at the same time, being able to function on their own and survive independently. N7s also displayed leadership qualities and the determination to get things done. Tristan knew James met all of these requirements and that he wasn't being completely honest with her…or with himself.

"That has got to be the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard," Tristan replied and when he looked at her in surprise, she added "And you've heard most of the stuff that comes out of _my_ mouth." He almost smiled at that last comment and the fact that he didn't meant there was much more to this so she took it down a notch. "James, the alphabet training programmes don't just throw their offers at just anybody. Everyone they give an offer to has the potential to get through the programme. You said this is a second opinion?"

He nodded. "I already spoke to Shepard about it. She said I should do it."

Tristan took in his serious demeanour and how it looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. This was more than indecision or hesitation. "What's holding you back then?"

James looked surprised that she was able to read him like that and then turned his gaze away from her, almost in shame. "Another mission."

"Fehl Prime," she murmured quietly.

"You know about that?" he asked in surprise and watched her expectantly, like she was going to turn and run from him.

"I wouldn't let just anyone guard my best friend," Tristan explained. "So I pulled your file to make sure Shepard was in safe hands. Obviously, she was." When he didn't respond to this and was still waiting for her to run away, she placed a hand on his forearm. "What happened on Fehl Prime wasn't your fault. You made a decision you felt would save more lives in the long run and not choosing would have resulted in much more death. The idea of sacrificing the few to save the many is all well and good in theory but no one thinks about the person who has to make that decision."

She had purposefully avoided using the words 'right decision' or 'best decision' because in a situation like that, there was no right or best decision. No matter what, there would be blood on his hands and while everyone else hailed him as a hero, he had to live with the guilt that his decision had ended the lives of all the colonists on Fehl Prime, a place he had been stationed on for two years. He had gotten to know these people and had likely grown close with some of them as well as his unit. Tristan could see why he didn't want to join the N7 programme. He felt like he didn't deserve it and he was hoping Tristan would find a reason for him to not go through with it. It also explained why Shepard was so concerned about him after his stunt on Mars.

"It was still the wrong decision," he replied quietly and there was the barest hint of bitterness. "Shepard was off killing the Collectors when it happened."

"That doesn't change the merits of your decision, James," Tristan argued and he frowned at the floor because he refused to meet her gaze. "You had no way of knowing that Shepard was running around the galaxy again or what she was up to. That is entirely on Anderson and Hackett's heads. They knew exactly what Shepard was doing and what she planned to do to the Collectors for weeks before actually going through the Omega-4 Relay but they decided to keep it to themselves because Shepard was working with Cerberus. There was no way you could have known. You need to stop thinking about that. If everyone could make their decisions in hindsight, everything would turn out completely different."

"I guess," he admitted slowly yet he still wasn't entirely convinced. "I'm still wondering if I made the decision because of the datapad or because of Treeya."

That was a distinctly…feminine and Asari name. His tone implied that there were some other emotions at play. Tristan fought extremely hard against the feelings of jealously that suddenly appeared and focused on the problem at hand. "Fehl Prime was an incredibly bad situation but you survived it. That is precisely why you'll do well in the N-training."

James looked at her in confusion. "How do you figure that?"

"The cruel truth about the alphabet training programmes is that everyone who is ever considered for it has gone through something rough: civilian deaths, loss of a unit or team mates, going up against low odds of success. Anyone with a perfect record won't get very far because they don't know what it is like to learn from their mistakes. They don't have the determination or will to survive. They can't adapt to increasingly difficult missions and they don't take failure well," Tristan explained. "You, Shepard, Anderson, me…we've all walked away from bad situations. We've all survived and are better at our jobs for it. But you won't get very far if you don't move on from Fehl Prime."

"And how do you suggest I do that?" he asked. There was a hard edge to his tone that wasn't directed at Tristan but rather his frustration at the whole situation.

"Stop thinking about all the 'what ifs' and 'should haves'. Instead, think about how you can honour the lives of those who died," Tristan advised in a careful tone. "It doesn't matter how badly we want to change the past because we can't. We can only learn from it and hope we don't make the same mistake twice."

James searched her face, trying to find a reason why she was so familiar with this advice before looking down at the floor again in thought. He was quiet for a long time and Tristan waited patiently. It didn't happen often that people came to her for advice so she wasn't very experienced when it came to giving good advice. Bad advice was surprisingly easy to give. She only hoped it actually helped James as her mouth had a way of offending people.

"So…you think I should go for it?" he eventually asked with some of his good humour.

Tristan smiled. "Hell yeah. With Shepard as your training instructor, there's no way you can fail."

James thanked her for her time and support before leaving. He probably needed more time to think before actually coming to a decision. Tristan made a mental note to investigate further as far as this Treeya person was concerned. When she'd initially read James' file and the reports on Fehl Prime, the Asari archaeologist didn't raise any red flags in her mind so she didn't pursue the matter any further. Now was an entirely different matter. Tristan would have felt ridiculous if not for the tiny suspicion in the back of her mind: _but she's an Asari_. Everyone knew men of all races were drawn to the Asari. Tristan tried to push the thought away but it just wouldn't leave her alone.

In an effort to distract herself, she retrieved her datapad and decided to talk to Javik anyway. At the very least, she would find something else to bother her for a while. When she left her quarters, she glanced over to James' station and found him organising the weapons and upgrades. It was a simple task that wouldn't require much thinking and would let him consider things. Tristan couldn't see his face so she continued on her way. Lieutenant Cortez was looking over the requisitions terminal and nodded his greeting as she passed. By the time Tristan made it to the moody Prothean's quarters, she found herself thinking about Treeya again and was suddenly looking forward to a conversation with Javik. That was not a good sign.

"Agent Chase," Javik greeted coldly. He was standing at one of his sinks, washing his hands in the constant motion. "Is there something you needed?"

Tristan walked over and leant against the wall to Javik's left. "I came for information…and you don't need to narrow your eyes like that. I'm not looking for a minute by minute recount of your entire family's history."

The Prothean paused in his hand washing and peered at her. "You have a very odd sense of humour. You wouldn't have lasted long under the Prothean Empire."

"Noted," Tristan replied. "I don't exactly have the temperament of a slave either."

"At last, we agree," Javik replied seriously. "What is it that you want?"

"Information about Reaper tactics," Tristan elaborated. "More specifically, I wanted to know if the Reapers adapt to those they are fighting. As far as I can tell, the Reapers fight each of the races in the same manner, despite the fact that Krogan and Turian battle tactics are completely different but is it the same as when fighting the Protheans?"

Javik did not reply immediately. "An intelligent question."

"I am capable of those from time to time," she replied impatiently.

They descended into conversation about the Reapers, comparing the footage on the datapad to what Javik could remember. It didn't look like their approach had changed over the cycles or maybe they had just found a method of conquering that worked for them and stuck with it. For all their talk of superiority, it didn't look as though the Reapers could adapt very easily and this made them predictable. It was something the Turians had used to their advantage with the uneven terrain on Menae but what this enough to give the galaxy the advantage? When the discussion turned to the Collectors, Tristan realised something.

"Hang on," she interrupted Javik's next sentence. "The Collectors as we know them now were indoctrinated Protheans in your time. Vigil also mentioned that a portion of the Prothean population was indoctrinated to ensure that every last one was killed."

"Why are you repeating everything we just discussed?" Javik demanded irritably.

Tristan ignored him. "What if…what if Cerberus is our version of the Collectors? What if their huskifying experiments aren't loyal to Cerberus but to the Reapers and as long as Cerberus is loyal to them, then their goal is the same? The Illusive Man is convinced that he can control the Reapers but he is the only one who believes that it is possible. Where could he have gotten that idea from?"

Javik considered this for a moment. "You believe that the Reapers convinced this Illusive Man that they can be controlled when he is the one under control?"

"What better way is there to get someone to oppose destruction?" Tristan pointed out. "The Illusive Man is only concerned with power. Imagine how powerful he would become if he could control the Reapers, or even if he believes he can control them."

"It is…something to consider," Javik admitted reluctantly.

They discussed it for a little bit longer before Shepard summoned Tristan to her station beside the Galaxy Map. Tristan immediately made her way there, slightly curious as to what Shepard would want. It was a good sign that Shepard was finally out in the open…although that probably meant she was sure that Alenko wouldn't come upstairs for any reason. When the elevator doors opened, Tristan found Shepard working on her computer terminal while having a conversation with Specialist Traynor who was analysing data on her own terminal. When she was close enough, Tristan caught something about strategy games and Shepard issuing a challenge to Traynor.

She glanced between the two. "Am I interrupting something…? Hang on. Are you two trash-talking before _chess_?"

"Maybe," Traynor admitted weakly. Tristan still intimidated her even though it wasn't on purpose.

"Nerds," Tristan teased fondly.

"Somehow, if we went to a normal high school, I could absolutely see you as the head cheerleader," Shepard retorted with a slightly amused smile.

"And you would be the nerd who would do my math homework out of desperation to fit in with the cool kids," Tristan countered with a smirk. "Did you call me here to think up imaginary scenarios about high school dynamics?"

Shepard, still a bit amused, shook her head. "No. You're good at understanding stuff, right?"

Tristan glanced at Traynor, hoping for a better explanation but she only shrugged in confusion. "…Stuff?" Tristan repeated unsurely. "What kind of _stuff_ are we talking about?"

"Work-related stuff," Shepard replied and returned her attention to her terminal.

"I'm still going to need a bit more than that," Tristan said.

Shepard indicated a message on her screen. "Admiral Hackett wants me to meet with a scientist on the Citadel about his project however science isn't exactly my forte. Think you could translate?"

"Possibly," Tristan answered and then nodded in Traynor's direction. "Wouldn't she be better suited to accompany you?"

"Probably," Shepard agreed. "But after the coup, I don't want to take any chances. We do need her here, after all."

"I'm not making any promises here," Tristan clarified. "I've been undercover as a scientist before but I don't know if that will actually help."

"You and I both know you have the higher IQ between us," Shepard pointed out.

"I didn't say it would be an understanding issue," Tristan argued. "It's more of a 'trying to stay awake while listening to boring stuff' issue."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Let me guess: not enough explosions for you?"

Tristan ignored the question. "The scientist in question would be?"

"One Dr Garrett Bryson," Shepard answered. "He's been researching the Reapers and may have some critical information for us."

Tristan tilted her head to the side. "Dr Bryson…the name doesn't sound familiar."

"It doesn't ring any bells for me either," Shepard replied with a light shrug of her shoulders. "But I doubt he works for Cerberus."

"Hackett wouldn't send us without checking first especially after the coup," Tristan agreed and casually leant against the galaxy map. "I just hope the trip is worth it."

Shepard glanced at her sideways. "Meaning what?"

"Come on, Nads. You warned the galaxy about the Reapers three years ago and _now_ everyone is making life changing discoveries?" Tristan pointed out. "Where were the Crucible and this Dr Bryson back then?"

Shepard sighed quietly. "I know, it's frustrating but if I hadn't seen Sovereign, I wouldn't want to believe the Reapers existed either. Galaxy wide doom is a bit of a wakeup call though."

"That's putting it mildly," Tristan murmured.

She remained by the Galaxy Map, conversing with Shepard and Traynor while they approached the Citadel. Shepard ordered Joker to contact the necessary people about the various artefacts and people they had picked up. Normally, she would handle it personally but this meeting with Dr Bryson sounded urgent and they needed any advantage against the Reapers they could get. While Shepard was giving her orders, Tristan organised a Citadel taxi to take them to Bryson's lab and in the relative peace of waiting, her thoughts once again drifted back to Treeya. It was completely ridiculous that she was jealous of a person she had never met. Once Shepard was done, they both climbed into the taxi which automatically took off.

The journey was silent. Shepard was still taking in the massive amount of damage that Cerberus had caused in such a short amount of time. Despite her contemplative staring out the window, Tristan knew she was mostly thinking about how to deal with Major Alenko. Tristan was in no state to pry either so the silence continued to drag on. Perhaps Liara knew more about Treeya as they were both Asari archaeologists? There was no logical explanation as to Tristan's sudden interest and she dismissed the idea almost immediately.

"What's your excuse for brooding?" Shepard suddenly asked.

Tristan tried to hide her surprise at being discovered. "I'm not brooding."

"Sulking then," Shepard corrected.

Tristan shrugged. "Apparently James had a thing for the Asari archaeologist on Fehl Prime."

Shepard's look of utter shock was surprising. "You're jealous?" Tristan's only answer was to look out the window again. "Sorry, Tris. I just didn't realise you were capable of feeling normal people emotions."

"Once again, you really are not helping," Tristan retorted.

Shepard cleared her throat, like that would reset the situation. "You mentioned it was in the past tense. Why are you worried?"

Tristan looked at Shepard with a 'isn't it obvious' look. "She's an Asari." When Shepard continued to look at her blankly, Tristan sighed. "I can't compete with Asari."

Shepard frowned for a moment and then suddenly looked at Tristan incredulously. "I know what you're doing."

It was Tristan's turn to look at her blankly because she honestly had no idea what Shepard meant. "What?"

"You're looking for reasons why you and James won't work," Shepard answered a little bit smugly. "Whatever happened between you and this mystery man, you're trying to avoid it happening again and so you're ending a relationship before it even starts."

"I am not," Tristan replied defensively even though she knew it was true. It made sense and had been an unconscious reaction yet once Shepard had said it out loud, she knew she couldn't deny it.

Shepard gave her an impatient look. "Is there any reason to suspect that James and…Treeya are still in contact or even had a relationship in the first place?"

Tristan shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "…no," she admitted reluctantly. "But-"

"No 'buts'," Shepard ordered. "There is no reason why you and James won't work so stop looking and enjoy what you have while you can. From where I stand, he only has eyes for you."

"Isn't that advice…I don't know…hypocritical?" Tristan asked delicately.

"How so?"

"You and Alenko?" Tristan asked. "Shouldn't you be enjoying what you have while you can?"

"How can I when he doesn't trust me?" Shepard retorted irritably.

Tristan raised an eyebrow at the sudden defensiveness. "He was being manipulated by Udina," she pointed out quietly.

"Why are you defending him?" Shepard demanded.

"I'm not," Tristan answered carefully. "I just want to see you happy and Alenko is your best chance. You're still clearly in love with him otherwise you wouldn't be brooding and he still loves you otherwise he wouldn't have asked to join the _Normandy_."

"What's your point?" Shepard asked in the same tone.

"My point is you two need to talk. You can't avoid him forever, even with Joker's help," Tristan answered.

Shepard sighed in defeat. "I know."

Tristan decided to let the matter drop as there was no reason to pursue it further. They arrived outside Dr Bryson's lab a few minutes later and they climbed out of the taxi. Whoever Dr Bryson worked for, he was paid pretty well considering his lab looked more like a condo that Marines dreamt about retiring in than an actual laboratory. It even had a garden outside with bright green plants and had somehow escaped notice during the Cerberus coup. Tristan followed Shepard into the lab and a man was talking nearby, ordering someone to check the locations of something. Tristan's gaze wandered around the room, taking in the expensive toys scattered around and idly wondered what this new discovery could possibly be.

Dr Bryson suddenly turned from his computer terminal to face Shepard. "Commander Shepard. We've been expecting you. Just a moment." He then turned to his assistant. "Hadley, could you get the Leviathan data for us, please?"

With that, he indicated that Shepard and Tristan should follow him into the next room. Dr Bryson explained that this was Task Force Aurora and that they were tasked to investigate the legends and rumours that surrounded the Reapers. Tristan tried to keep her annoyance from resurfacing and decided to investigate a nearby skeleton that was hanging from the roof instead of listening to what he was saying. While the voices of Dr Bryson and Shepard faded to the background, Tristan tried to guess what exactly the skeleton belonged to. After all, she had warned Shepard that she wasn't very good at listening to boring information.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Tristan looked up to see Dr Bryson's assistant approaching. She was about to dismiss this as him delivering the data when she noticed the metallic glint of a gun. As he lifted it to take aim, she tackled Shepard to the ground. Just as she was about to put a Barrier up around Dr Bryson, a single shot rang out and the doctor hit the floor. The assistant turned the gun towards them. Shepard threw a datapad that she had been holding at the assistant which hit him in the face. Tristan used his distractions to throw him against a wall with her biotics, knocking him to the floor. Shepard quickly ran over and collected the gun. While she called for C-Sec, Tristan went over to Dr Bryson to check for a pulse. She looked up at Shepard and shook her head. He was dead.

"You shouldn't be in here…the darkness cannot be breached…"

Tristan and Shepard exchanged a look as the voice was…unearthly. It took them a few moments to realise that it was coming from the assistant yet it wasn't his voice. Shepard approached and tightened her grip around the gun. Tristan remained where she was standing and she was prepared to use her biotics if need be. The voice did not speak again and the assistant went limp again. Tristan immediately started to search the various drawers for something to secure his hands while Shepard remained on watch. After this, she seriously needed to consider carrying handcuffs. Eventually, Tristan found some duct tape and used it to secure the assistant's hands behind his back. When he slowly began to regain consciousness, Shepard propped him up on a stool and Tristan leant against the wall near the door to wait for C-Sec.

Something was still off about Hadley. He was really out of it and hadn't said a word since his weird philosophical ramblings. His sudden attack on Dr Bryson also didn't fit as there wasn't any animosity between the two unless Tristan was missing something. Dr Bryson wasn't intimidated by his assistant and was just as surprised to the see the gun in Hadley's hand as the others had been. Two C-Sec officers finally arrived and Shepard gave them the breakdown of what had happened and Tristan confirmed it. As the officers started to report Hadley's background, EDI abruptly entered the lab.

"Shepard, I monitored a C-Sec alert from this location," she explained. "Are you hurt?"

"We're fine, EDI," Tristan answered and approached the AI.

Shepard had also walked towards her. "Although, now that you're here, we could use your help in sorting through everything."

"What is needed of me?" EDI asked.

"Scan through the files and let me know what you find out," Shepard ordered. "We need to know what this task force was up to."

"I shall begin immediately," EDI replied and walked off towards the nearest computer terminal.

It suddenly occurred to Tristan that she could ask EDI to look up Treeya's information. The AI would ask fewer questions than Liara and would agree to keep it to herself. When Tristan looked away from EDI, she found Shepard watching her with a look that said 'Don't even think about it'. Tristan shrugged innocently. It was at that moment that Hadley seemed to be coming out of a trance and he looked around the room in confusion. His duct taped wrists would require an explanation under any circumstances.

"What's happening?" he asked when he realised he was in C-Sec custody.

While his confusion appeared genuine, Tristan wasn't entirely sure she could trust him. She was pretty good at faking a wide range of emotions and confusion was one of the easier ones. She decided to let Shepard handle the interrogation so she could watch his body language and listen to any irregularities in his story.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Shepard asked calmly.

Hadley was still very confused yet he tried to answer. "I…I was gathering the data when you arrived and then…It was dark. Cold. Like I was somewhere else."

"What else?" Shepard pressed.

"I don't know," he answered. "A…gun was in my hand. Dr Bryson. There was…a loud noise." When he didn't immediately put the events together in his mind, Tristan decided to give him a push.

"That loud noise was you shooting Dr Bryson," she announced evenly. There were a few occasions when good cop, bad cop could still work.

The C-Sec officer on his right stepped aside and revealed Dr Bryson's dead body. Hadley was completely shocked and immediately ran over to his body. Shock was one of the harder emotions to fake which led Tristan to believe that he was telling the truth…although she couldn't explain what really happened. Hadley denied he pulled the trigger and Shepard tried to make sense of it. Tristan replayed those mysterious words in her mind: _the darkness cannot be breached_. Hadley just described feeling like he was somewhere else that was cold and dark. Was there a connection there? It didn't exactly explain what happened.

"Commander, this does resemble reports of indoctrination," EDI interjected from her terminal.

Hadley looked even more confused, if that was possible. "Indoctrination? Me?"

Tristan had to agree with his scepticism. "He can't be indoctrinated. There aren't any Dragon's Teeth on the Citadel. I'm sure someone would have noticed something like that and the Reapers haven't even come close to this system. And even then, I haven't seen people spontaneously break free of indoctrination. I was under the impression that it's a permanent thing."

"Shepard's reports of Saren indicate he was able to break free for moments at a time. Matriarch Benezia was capable of doing it too," EDI revealed.

"You did just say 'for moments at a time'. For Hadley, it seems like the opposite: long periods of being lucid, short periods of…not being lucid," Tristan remarked with a slight frown. "This is just weird."

Shepard was silent for a moment and then turned to address Hadley. "What about that 'Leviathan' that Bryson mentioned? How does that fit in all this?"

"It's some kind of creature," Hadley explained, sounding more at ease with something familiar. "Our field teams were tracking it." He turned to face a medium-sized black orb that was completely perfect in shape and sitting on top a pedestal. "That artefact came in from our researcher, Garneau. He sent an audio log if you want to-"

The orb suddenly started to glow with a strange energy and Hadley doubled over with a cry of pain. Tristan and the C-Sec guards immediately reacted although they hung back. Shepard's hand instinctively gripped at the gun's holster and EDI hovered in her position, unsure of how to react.

"What's going on?" Shepard demanded.

Hadley collapsed to his knees as if all the fight left him and that strange voice suddenly came from his mouth. "Turn back."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"The darkness cannot be breached." With that, he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Tristan walked over and knelt beside him, placing two fingers against his neck to check for a pulse. "He's alive. Beyond that, I have no idea what just happened."

Shepard was thoughtful for a moment and then she turned to the C-Sec officers. "Get him to a clinic. Perhaps the doctors can explain this."

"Right away, Commander," the officer replied and started to make the arrangements.

Tristan watched silently as the officers carried the unconscious man out of the room while Shepard walked over to the relic.

"It's probably not a good idea to get too close to that thing, Nadine," Tristan advised cautiously, making sure to keep her distance.

Shepard glanced at her and looked back at the relic. "Don't tell me you're scared of a glowing orb?"

"Since our lives started resembling a horror vid, I'm not taking any chances," Tristan replied with a small smile and a slight shrug.

"Commander," EDI suddenly called from the nearby computer terminal. "You'll want to this. It's an outgoing message from Dr Bryson to Admiral Hackett."

Tristan and Shepard walked over so they were standing behind EDI with a clear view of the computer screen. From the message, apparently the Leviathans of Dis were capable of killing Reapers. They only knew this because the Batarians had discovered a Reaper corpse floating in space and then promptly covered it up. This last bit really annoyed Tristan because she had no idea about it and although the Batarians were pretty good at covering up stuff, they weren't as good as Black Ops finding stuff. It was insulting to think they managed to get one over the Alliance and frustrating because it would have been the perfect evidence to support Shepard with the Council.

"There is another follow up message a few weeks later," EDI informed them as soon as the video ended.

Apparently, the Reapers were shadowing Dr Bryson's teams, trying to find the Leviathans for themselves. Tristan wondered if the Reapers were capable of feeling fear because it looked like they were hunting these Leviathans too. It made sense: eliminate a weapon before it could be used against them. Perhaps the Leviathans were not a ridiculous concept after all. The message ended and they realised that they were supposed to be Dr Bryson's assistance. Tristan glanced back at Dr Bryson's body, now covered up by a white sheet. Had the Leviathans been responsible for this? Were they waiting until help arrived to sabotage Dr Bryson's plan? Tristan hated not knowing when a new enemy entered the equation. She hated it even more when she knew nothing about the enemy. At the moment, they were just chasing ghosts and myths.

"Anything that is capable of killing a Reaper could also cause a lot of collateral damage," Shepard remarked, interrupting Tristan's musings.

"Yet given the state of this conflict, I believe the saying 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' may be relevant," EDI replied.

Tristan raised an eyebrow, considering the statement with scepticism. "In my experience, the enemy of my enemy is just as likely to shoot me."

Shepard did not respond to her comment and sighed heavily. "We won't know anything until we find it."

EDI tilted her head thoughtfully in a very human mannerism. "Bryson's assistant did say they recently received a log from their researcher. It may yield more information."

Shepard managed to the find the relevant audio log on a nearby table. It was from Garneau and mentioned the artefact that he found: the strange orb that was really creepy. He then mentioned he would check in again when he found the next site where they believed the Leviathan had passed through. They all agreed that Garneau was their best lead however there was no record of where his next destination might be. While Shepard and EDI searched the office for data, Tristan leant against one of the counters and watched in slight boredom. She was trained to handle data like this but having an AI in the room sort of nullified this training. There wasn't much she could do. After a good half an hour, they found a match for Garneau's current location. Tristan just hoped the Reapers hadn't found him first.

Tristan placed a finger to her radio. "Joker, you there?"

_::Where else would I be?::_

She smirked at the obvious sarcasm. Sometimes she had some competition for being the most sarcastic crew member. "EDI just forwarded some coordinates to you. Did you get them?"

_::The Caleston Rift?::_

"Yeah," she replied and nodded to Shepard to let her know things were in motion. "It's the only lead we have on this Leviathan project. Shepard wants the crew ready to depart ASAP."

_::I'm on it.::_

"Thanks, Joker," Tristan replied.

Shepard led the way back to the taxi and they all climbed in. Instead of finding answers, Tristan only had more questions and the amount of possibilities ahead of them was unnerving.


	20. Interruptions

**Hello, readers. I apologise about the delay but university work just took over my life. On top of that, after receiving two guest reviews, I rewrote this chapter three times so I hope it's good. I would also like to address the two guest reviews – don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the feedback and I do hope you will continue to review my story.**

**a) I found absolutely nothing about B7 in any of my research or that it is only for soldiers. They mentioned that every letter in the alphabet is used but, to my knowledge, only N is named i.e. Special Forces. If you can point me towards where you found the information, I'd be more than happy to correct it.**

**b) The issue about Tristan being in everything does confuse me. If you meant that everything is about her, this entire fic is written from her point of view hence the bias and odd trains of thought.**

**If you meant that she is on a lot of missions, I approached this from a "realistic" way of thinking. Liara wouldn't have much free time to go on ground missions between being the Shadow Broker, looking up info about the Protheans as well as the Crucible. Garrus is also helping Victus and coordinating Turian forces. Javik not only has to adapt to a new time but also that he is the last of his kind. Shepard is hesitant to take Kaidan with her due to their past and I'd think the entire crew would be cautious to take EDI on ground missions in case her body is damaged and they won't know the damage to **_**Normandy**_**'s systems – it may be inaccurate but not everyone has the same understanding as Traynor.**

**Thus Tristan and James have the most free time in comparison to the others and so, they're on more ground missions.**

**I have tried to accommodate everyone. Thank you all for your reviews and messages of support, especially KaeliRed. I greatly appreciate your review and your message. It got my rear into gear.**

**Enough out of me. I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 20: Interruptions**

While the _Normandy_ made her way towards the Caleston Rift, Tristan had decided to try to catch some sleep. They were dealing with a whole lot of unknown factors which had attracted the attention of the Reapers too. This meant that the crew needed to be at the top of their game and so, Tristan decided some sleep would be in order. Truth be told, she hadn't actually expected to fall asleep as most attempts usually resulted in her staring at her ceiling for an hour before giving up and going in search of coffee. This time, however, she was in a deep sleep free of dreams and nightmares. It hadn't happened in a long time. Perhaps she was more exhausted than she realised.

In the silence, the soft sound of the door opening was oddly misplaced and roused Tristan from her slumber. At first, she had no idea what woke her up and she rolled over onto her chest to get comfortable, not quite awake yet. Then she heard it: soft footsteps padding along her floor. This intruder was attempting to move around quietly and was not wearing any shoes. Instinctively, Tristan's hand tightened around the gun that she kept under her pillow and her index finger hovered over the trigger. If this person got too close, they would regret it. Tristan's whole body tensed in anticipation.

"Tristan, are you awake?" Shepard suddenly whispered although it was far too loud to be a legitimate attempt at whispering.

Tristan immediately released her gun and buried her face in her pillow, pretending and wishing that she was still asleep. If there was some sort of emergency then she wouldn't mind waking up to deal with it but she wasn't in the mood to deal with real life just yet. Shepard drew closer to the bed and then poked Tristan on her back, between her shoulder blades.

"Tristan," she whispered even louder. All attempts at stealth were apparently not for Tristan's benefit.

"Go away," she groaned and even though the words were muffled, they were still recognisable.

"Good," Shepard breathed in relief. "I thought I woke you up."

Giving up on sleep entirely, Tristan turned around and sat up, switching on her lights in the process. Shepard was standing right next to the bed and dressed in her white baggy t-shirt and a pair of grey cotton pants that she used to sleep in. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun which led Tristan to believe this wasn't an urgent visit or that Shepard had come straight from bed. She was also far too wide awake.

Tristan mustered up her most impressive unimpressed look and folded her arms in front of her chest. "You did."

"Oh," Shepard replied with no trace of embarrassment or sheepishness so she definitely knew.

When it was obvious that she wasn't going to say anything else, Tristan sighed. "Please tell me you didn't wake me up so we can stare at each other in silence."

"No," Shepard answered and then started to look around the room as though it was the most fascinating place she'd ever been in despite the fact that the only thing that wasn't regulation Alliance furniture was the pictures of Tristan's niece and nephew. The Loft was much more personalised as well as decorated so it couldn't have been that interesting.

Tristan was about to ask what was going on then, when she realised the answer and she flopped back down. "You're here to avoid Alenko." _Fantastic._ "Seriously?"

"I thought you were on my side," Shepard suddenly accused, sounding very whiny.

Tristan propped herself up on her elbows and gave her a "really?" look. "Nadine, this plan never interrupted my sleep before. Just talk to the man and if things go wrong, we can always ditch him on some planet."

"If? _If_ they go wrong?" Shepard repeated and she sounded a little bit worked up. "He called me a traitor and then pulls a gun on me. A _gun_, Tristan!"

"That sounds like the beginnings of most relationships for me," she replied and sat up again. She obviously wasn't getting any more sleep until Shepard left.

"Not funny," Shepard snapped. Apparently, Alenko was getting to her more than Tristan had realised.

"I wasn't trying to be funny," Tristan answered. "But if you insist on barging into my room in the middle of the night and wake me up, I'm allowed to make a few jokes." She sighed in an effort to put off saying the next thing but it had to be said. "Has it ever occurred to you that everything you tell me should be said to Alenko? I know I'm useless with romantic crap but communication seems pretty important." When Shepard didn't respond, Tristan decided to ask another question. "If you knew things were going to be this tense, why did you agree to let him join the crew?"

This was apparently the wrong question to ask because her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Don't you start with this too."

The others must have noticed too and had asked her about it but Tristan knew that everyone else would be too scared to push the topic further. "Nadine, you're my best friend and you're practically family. I love you but you can't avoid this forever. You can't avoid _him_ forever."

Just then, the doors opened again only to reveal Major Kaidan Alenko standing there, looking annoyed and unimpressed.

"So much for privacy," Tristan grumbled irritably. Was sleep too much to ask for?

"Shepard, we need to talk," Alenko announced. Tristan tried to subtly shake her head to tell him that this was neither the time nor the place for such a talk but she was either ignored or he hadn't noticed.

"I'll just leave…" Tristan drifted off when she realised she was being completely ignored and they were blocking the only exit. She should have known better than to accept quarters with only one way in or out.

"Not now, Kaidan," Shepard dismissed in an even tone.

Alenko was not convinced. "If not now, then when? You've been avoiding me since I signed up. If you don't want me here, why say yes?"

Tristan winced in sympathy. If Shepard couldn't even give her best friend an answer then Alenko wasn't getting one.

"You're a solid soldier and your biotics will be useful," Shepard answered tersely. "And against the Reapers, we need every resource we can get."

Alenko looked torn between disbelief and annoyance. He knew Shepard well enough to tell when she wasn't being completely honest. "So, I'm just another soldier to order around?"

Shepard pursed her lips for a moment before she answered. "Since I became just another Cerberus pawn and experiment, yes."

Tristan stopped searching for an escape route and looked between the pair at a loss for words. Alenko's mouth moved for a few moments without sound before he realised it and clamped his jaw tightly. Apparently Tristan wasn't the only one left speechless. Shepard was still holding comments he had made back on Mars against him. Perhaps even going so far back as Horizon. Tristan was of the opinion that Alenko needed that shock to the system because he still didn't fully understand the amount of pain he had caused her and he acted like Shepard was overreacting to his numerous accusations of treason and his various questions of doubt. The silence stretched on. You could cut the awkwardness with a knife.

"So, this is what we've been reduced to?" Alenko asked and there was such a degree of pleading in his voice that Tristan pictured a sad puppy.

Shepard was attempting to keep up her commander mask but it was slipping. "Apparently so."

Tristan suddenly felt very uncomfortable, not only at the open emotion being displayed but she also felt like she was intruding which was ridiculous as these were her quarters, technically speaking.

"I tried to do everything right, Kaidan. I really did. I did the best I could with what I had," Shepard continued in a half whisper and her voice was thick with emotion. "And you keep treating me like a criminal and a traitor. You've never once asked me why I did it. I turned myself in without orders, I let my crew get arrested and you couldn't even give me that."

Alenko's expression shifted from anger to…guilt? Before the conversation could progress, EDI's voice filled the small space.

_::Pardon the interruption…::_

"Interrupt away," Tristan ordered a little too desperately. Open displays of emotion made her seriously uncomfortable. She ignored the confused looks from Shepard and Alenko. Perhaps they had forgotten that she was still there.

_::There is an urgent call for you, Agent Chase. The location is marked undisclosed and the gentleman says his name is 'Smith'. He hasn't given a reason for the call either.::_

Tristan resisted the urge to groan or hide under her pillows. "Thanks, EDI." She finally untangled herself from her blankets and knew changing her clothes was out of the question. "You two kids try not to kill each other in my quarters," she reminded and headed for the elevator.

In the face of having to explain herself to her boss, suddenly watching Shepard and Alenko finally talk was the preferred option but there was nothing she could do about it now. She looked down and cringed. She was wearing a grey tank top and a matching pair of shorts with her hair left loose. It was hardly the attire of a hardened spy who would kill a man in any number of ways. Her boss was not going to be impressed. She ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to untangle any knots and make herself look more presentable which was easier said than done. It was never a good thing when the head of Black Ops personally called.

She eventually reached the communications room and EDI patched him through. He was a stern man that Tristan could not even picture with a smile. He was quite taller compared to most people with an athletic build. Even though he was in his late fifties, his short brown hair and his cold brown eyes made him look much younger. He stood tall and clasped his hands behind his back in a similar posture to Admiral Hackett but when Hackett did it, it demanded respect. Smith was quietly intimidating and while he didn't look like a trained killer, his gaze could make even the most hardened person feel uncomfortable. Tristan had only ever seen two emotions on his face: indifference and displeasure. Unfortunately for her, this time was the latter.

"Director Smith," she greeted steadily.

He took in her appearance in a single glance. "I see the _Normandy_'s rules about uniform have changed."

"I was sleeping," she answered in an emotionless voice.

"And you didn't see fit to change when speaking to your boss?" he asked.

"I didn't want to keep you waiting, sir," she explained and was determined not to let any emotion into her tone. The last thing she needed was for him to hear her annoyance or impatience.

Director Smith was quiet for a moment as he considered the reply and then he chose to move on. "Would you care to explain why I had to find out about a potential super weapon from our sources within C-Sec?" Even though his voice was calm and his expression mild, his eyes betrayed his true anger and it was all Tristan could do to not wince.

"With all due respect, sir-"

Director Smith cut her off. "Did I make a mistake assigning you to the _Normandy _at Admiral Hackett's request?"

"No, sir," she answered through gritted teeth.

"All evidence is to the contrary," he continued. "Your reports are irregular, you took items from R&D without official clearance, any information about the _Normandy_'s activities is either brief or we have to get it from another source, you failed to capture Kai Leng and now this. I still like to think of you as one of my top agents. Don't make me change my mind."

"There's a Reaper invasion going on. Communication isn't always an option and when it is, it isn't always secure. I didn't want the Reapers to intercept any information about this…weapon," Tristan attempted to explain. It wasn't the real reason but it was a viable excuse. "And I didn't realise my transfer here was dependent on spying on the crew. Sir."

"I understand that you and Commander Shepard grew up together," Director Smith said. "It has become clear that being around her is…a bad influence. You are not there to make friends. We have one rule and I expect you to remember it."

Tristan sighed in defeat. "The job comes first."

Some of the anger faded from his eyes. "Do _not_ forget it again."

The call was terminated abruptly and Tristan sagged against the wall. She hadn't expected the conversation to be a picnic but she hadn't expected it to be that intense either. Director Smith really knew how to ruin someone's day. She sighed quietly. What was she supposed to do now? Pretend that she hadn't made any friends on the _Normandy_? Act like there was nothing there between her and James? Maybe it was a mistake to stay with the _Normandy_, even after she had recovered. After a few moments, she pushed herself off the wall and returned to the elevator. The least Director Smith could have done was acknowledge that she had captured Udina and even had him transferred to their custody. But noooooo, that would be asking too much. Maybe he enjoyed being miserable all the time but she definitely didn't.

The elevator returned to the Cargo Hold and it took only a moment to realise that Shepard and Alenko were still talking in her quarters with the door wide open. Perhaps Tristan and the crew had gotten too comfortable with each other. Usually, the quarters of a Black Ops agent were only accessible to people with the appropriate level of clearance yet Shepard and Alenko were talking about their personal lives. They were done with the shouting and accusations and were now having a normal conversation. Both looked less tense and were probably setting some boundaries for how to proceed. Tristan folded her arms in front of her chest and looked down at the floor.

She knew she should have felt some happiness for them. It wasn't exactly getting back together or making a decision to move on with their lives but it was progress. Yet all Tristan could think about was _the job comes first_. A couple of months ago, that simple rule dictated her life and her decisions. It made things simple: no relationships – only the job. And she'd been good at her job; good enough to avoid suffering the consequences of some very poor decisions. But now, actually being part of a crew and knowing whoever she went on a mission with would have her back no matter what, the rule didn't seem so important. Perhaps Agent Wilcox was more right than Tristan gave her credit for.

Tristan tiredly ran a hand through her hair, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do now. She couldn't just turn off her emotions around the crew anymore…or was it a fact that she wouldn't do it. Things were far simpler before the Reaper invasion, she decided. As she looked up again, she noticed Lieutenant Cortez standing nearby, watching her with a concerned expression on his face. Tristan was often the source of humour, rarely taking anything seriously and even helping others – specifically Shepard – find a way to deal with their problems however most just took in her sense of a humour and didn't consider if it was an act. It had been a long time since anyone at looked at her with such concern. It almost made her uncomfortable.

Before he could ask or she could evade, Joker's voice filled the Cargo Hold informing they had reached the Caleston Rift. Shepard and Alenko stopped talking, apparently having come to some sort of agreement, and James woke up suddenly, looking around the room in slight confusion. It hadn't been particularly subtle of Joker, considering some people were trying to sleep. Alenko headed towards the elevator and Tristan quietly approached Shepard.

"So, did things go wrong?" she asked, ignoring the fact that she probably should have made some witty comment. Shepard was too distracted to notice anyway.

"We agreed to take things slow," Shepard replied. "Get to be teammates first before we go any further."

Tristan nodded her head distractedly. "That's progress."

"Gear up," Shepard ordered, like she had only just heard Joker's message. "And get ready to move out."

Shepard then marched towards the elevator and it looked like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. As Tristan turned to walk back into her quarters, she noticed James had fallen back asleep and was snoring away as though he hadn't been interrupted at all. Once she had changed into her hardsuit, she waited in her quarters and thought about the call once again. It wasn't like her to dwell on a conversation where she had been lectured by her boss – it happened quite a lot – but she usually understood what she had done wrong and she had always put the job and the mission first. She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts and then made her way towards the shuttle. The squad should be ready to depart for the asteroid, Mahavid.

Alenko was having a conversation with Lieutenant Cortez, probably getting to know each other on a professional level. EDI was also standing nearby, not really doing anything. Tristan cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. After Alenko's initial reaction to meeting EDI for the first time on the _Normandy_, she was surprised to see Shepard's choice in a squad. Perhaps this was putting Alenko's professional behaviour to the test as well as his newfound trust in her? To make matters even worse, Shepard walked out of the elevator with Javik in tow. Tristan resisted the urge to groan. Liara was probably too busy Shadow Brokering and Garrus was probably helping Victus coordinate the Turian forces. Javik didn't look too happy about this setup either.

"Let's get a move on," Shepard ordered. "I'd like to get Garneau and leave the system before the Reapers are onto to us."

Tristan glanced at Javik, waiting for some comment on their "primitive" ways of "avoiding combat" but he said nothing and climbed into the shuttle quietly. Lieutenant Cortez and Alenko went next, followed by EDI. After a moment of trying to decide if she should back out of the mission, Tristan followed Shepard and took a seat beside EDI – the lesser of the evils gathered in the shuttle. Normally, she wouldn't have considered backing out of a mission because of the people she had to work with – she was a professional after all, even if people didn't quite believe it – but she was distracted and while she didn't entirely like most of the squad, she didn't want to be responsible for any of them getting wounded. She kept most of her thoughts to herself so she was also quiet.

It wasn't just the squad or the conversation with Director Smith that was bugging her. She still wasn't entirely sure searching for the Leviathan was a good idea. There was no guarantee that they would agree to fight the Reapers or, if they did, that they would remain allies. The Leviathan had gone into hiding for a reason and obviously didn't want to be found. This was also the reason she hadn't mentioned the Leviathan in her reports to Black Ops HQ. The others were also very quiet. No one knew what to expect and there was even a chance that the Reapers had beat them here. Shepard was hovering behind Lieutenant Cortez's chair and pacing as they drew nearer to the asteroid. Why the Leviathan would have crossed paths with an asteroid was beyond Tristan. Asteroids were hardly interesting and they certainly weren't regarded as a good hiding place.

Shepard abruptly stopped pacing and Tristan could hear her talking about the asteroid with Lieutenant Cortez. Apparently there was a small mining operation that had been built there, one that Tristan had never heard of which was odd. Whatever their discussion involved must have satisfied Shepard's curiosity because she returned to the back of the shuttle and glanced around.

"You've all read EDI's notes on Dr Bryson's research. Any questions before we reach Mahavid?" Shepard asked.

Alenko looked up from his assault rifle and he was clearly confused. "Is there a clearer idea of what this 'Leviathan' was?"

Shepard shook her head. "Not really. All we really know is that it was able to kill a Reaper."

"And possibly Dr Bryson," Tristan murmured quietly.

"We don't know that for sure," Shepard argued.

Tristan looked up from the floor and gave Shepard a sceptical look. "How else do you explain what happened in Bryson's lab?"

"That's irrelevant at the moment," Shepard answered which was code for she had no idea and didn't want to speculate until they knew more. "Let's just focus on the mission at hand."

"If you insist," Tristan replied. "So, what's the plan? Go in and find Garneau?"

"And hope he has the answers," Shepard added.

"Commander, I'm reading enemy Reaper signatures in the asteroid field," Lieutenant Cortez suddenly interjected from the cockpit.

"Bryson said they were shadowing his field teams," Shepard explained. "If they're after Leviathan too then Reapers are a good sign."

"That's not something you hear every day," Cortez answered.

Shepard almost smiled. "Take us in, Steve."

Lieutenant Cortez landed the shuttle on a landing pad inside the mining facility and the area was largely made up of metallic catwalks. Tristan suddenly had a bad feeling about this as she looked around the room. If there was so much space for other shuttles, likely as a delivery system for whatever they mined here, then where were the shuttles? Where was security to find out why an Alliance shuttle just landed in their facility with no notice? And why was it so quiet? Even though there was a Reaper invasion going on, there would still be security or patrols. Tristan drew her submachine gun and looked around cautiously as she followed Shepard out of the shuttle.

"Don't go anywhere, Cortez. We'll grab this guy and be right out," Shepard ordered as she also looked around the area. "Keep me updated on the Reaper situation."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. Things never went that smoothly for them.

"Yes, Commander," Cortez replied.

Once they were all out of the shuttle and confident that Reapers weren't about to ambush them, Shepard led them towards a nearby lift. As it descended, Tristan activated her Warp Ammo on her Shuriken and sincerely hoped she was overreacting. Good things never happened when a building was too quiet and she wanted to be sure that they weren't taken by surprise. The others were also tense and keeping quiet so perhaps it wasn't entirely an overreaction. It was when the lift started to slow down that Tristan realised she could hear soft growling and metallic thumps. Shepard gave them the signal to get ready. Once the lift came to a stop, they were surprised to find a couple of Reaper forces attempting to force their way in as well as keep watch near the entrance.

For the moment, they were still undiscovered so Shepard silently ordered them to move quietly up ahead. They all took cover in various places so they were spread throughout the room. Shepard was a little bit closer than everyone else so she could use her shotgun effectively. Alenko was the first person to fire his assault rifle and he easily took down a Marauder. Javik followed with his pulse rifle, killing a second Marauder. Only a Brute was left. With three biotics, this was going to be interesting. Shepard and EDI attempted to wear down the Brute's armour with their guns while Tristan, Javik and Alenko kept up a constant stream of various biotic attacks. A few moments later, it was also dead. It was quiet, for the time being.

"Scouting party," Shepard murmured quietly.

The metallic thumps broke through the silence and they realised they were not alone.

Javik examined his pulse rifle before glancing up. "It sounds like they were not alone."

Shepard nodded at Tristan and she tightened her grip on her submachine gun. As the one who was able to move the quietest, it made sense that she was now on scouting duty. Tristan silently approached the stairs to see how many more things they needed to kill. A Brute was attempting to break down a large blast door with another pair of Marauders standing at the ready behind it. They had obviously heard the first attack and were waiting for the Marines to stumble blindly into their line of sight. Tristan was able to get a good look without alerting the Marauders to her presence. Just as she started to signal to Shepard, she had to quickly duck as the Brute threw a chair that it had ripped off the wall at her. A second later, she was safely behind cover as the Marauders opened fire on her too.

"A chair? Really?" she demanded irritably.

The Marauders continued to fire at her, not realising that she wasn't alone and she could hear the Brute getting closer with every second. At close range with little room to manoeuvre, Tristan knew the odds weren't good. Luckily, Alenko used that moment to open fire with Javik and one Marauder was dead. As soon as the Marauder and Brute were distracted, Tristan activated her tactical cloak and changed her position so she had some distance from the Brute. She deactivated her tactical cloak and sent a Warp at it, just as Javik focused his pulse rifle on it. The others started to attack it too and it collapsed to the ground before it could charge. Tristan glanced around.

"It looks clear," she announced from her position further ahead than the others.

"For the moment," Shepard replied and approached. "Let's get Garneau and leave before the serious troops arrive."

They reached the door and Tristan started to bypass the lock. There were a few dents in the metal but it had held up surprisingly well against the Brute. Perhaps there were survivors after all. Tristan didn't want to get her hopes up. The door opened into a short corridor which they followed until they reached another door was unlocked, strangely enough. Why would one door be locked and the next one unlocked? It was hardly secure and if they'd had the time, the Brutes would have forced their way through the first door…and then would be given free reign through the facility? That really didn't sound right. Shepard must have shared her suspicion because she gave the hand signal to make sure everyone's weapons were ready and to proceed with caution. As Shepard was about to open the door, an announcement suddenly disturbed the silence, startling them all.

_::Welcome to T-GES Mineral Works. All guests need to sign in at reception.::_

"Try telling the Reapers that," Tristan commented and prepared for the doors opening.

The doors opened and revealed a small area ahead of them. Tristan assumed it was the waiting area around reception, based on the layout and various chairs that had been placed in front of a security checkpoint that also resembled a receptionist's desk. A small group of miners – based on their uniform – was walking around the room as calmly as if the entire galaxy wasn't under attack. No one even glanced at the doors and Tristan hated to admit that she was at a loss. She was prepared to face a horde of husks charging at them or discovering that Reaper forces had already made it inside and had prepared an ambush. This? She didn't know how to prepare for this. The squad stood in the doorway in confused silence.

"They're taking it pretty well, aren't they?" Alenko observed yet no one had put their guns away.

"A little too well, perhaps," Shepard replied.

Shepard started to walk forward and just when Tristan thought things couldn't get any creepier, she was proven wrong. Every single person stopped what they were doing to stare at the squad and watch them pass. Shepard was trying to make it look like it wasn't bothering her and didn't even break stride. Shepard had noticed two people inside the security checkpoint/receptionist's desk and walked towards them. Once they reached the bulletproof window, they all holstered their weapons but this didn't mean they let their guard down. Javik was eying the miners with a combination of contempt and suspicion.

"I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance," she said. "You just had Reaper troops attacking your front door."

The squad gathered around Shepard so they could still watch her back while listening to the conversation.

"Are they still there?" the guard asked.

Tristan frowned. "You're kidding, right?" When the guard continued to look at them expectantly, she sighed. "You're not kidding."

Shepard looked equally disconcerted. "I've taken care of them for now but more will come."

"I see. That will be all," the second guard replied.

Shepard frowned. "That will be…?" she repeated in confusion.

Apparently, the squad no longer held their attention and the guards went back to watching the computer terminal in front of them…almost like the squad didn't even exist. Shepard exchanged a glance with Alenko and then attempted to recapture the guards' attention, with no luck whatsoever. Perhaps she and Alenko had fallen back into the familiar routine of being in a squad together and they missed it more than either one of them wanted to admit. EDI noticed a nearby button that was marked "Assistance" and once Shepard nodded, she pushed it. A soft musical chime sounded within the guards' room and the guards suddenly focused on them once again.

"Yes, welcome to T-GES Mineral Works. How can we help you?" the first guard greeted with absolutely no recognition or recollection of the previous conversation.

"Yes. For the tour, please sign in," the second guard added.

"I've seen denial and ignorance," Tristan murmured under her breath. "This? This is something else entirely." Javik nodded his head in agreement which was almost as surprising as the entire situation.

Shepard must have agreed because she still decided to try getting through to these guards. "The Reapers are invading the galaxy yet you don't look particularly worried. Do you know something I don't?"

"T-GES Mineral Works is a small to mid-level supplier of tungsten to the galaxy," the first guard answered.

"That isn't what I meant," Shepard replied and Tristan could tell she was trying her hardest not to shift uncomfortably on the spot in an effort to keep her squad calm.

"Are you familiar with the application of Tungsten?" the guard asked.

Shepard shook her head slowly, trying to make sense of what was going on here. "We're looking for a researcher, Dr Garneau. He probably arrived within the last couple of weeks. I need to speak with him."

The guard was silent for a few moments and then looked up, almost as if he was glaring at them. "We have no Dr Garneau."

"Do you need to see a doctor?" the second guard asked.

Shepard was starting to get frustrated. "How about I just go in and look for myself?" she suggested.

"No. The access elevator is broken," the guard replied quickly.

Tristan narrowed her eyes suspiciously. It had been too quick…and the previous answer had taken too long. Whatever was happening here, the guard knew something. They all glanced towards the access elevator. The doors were sparking and under lockdown. There was no alarm and no attempts at fixing it. Most of the other miners walked past it casually, as if it was just another section of wall. Tristan wondered if it had been an act of sabotage to keep people out. If that were the case, then Dr Garneau was still here and likely on the other side of the elevator.

"And now…we're done," the guard continued. "Now, step away."

"Step away," the other guard added. "You don't belong here."

Shepard decided to follow the guards' advice to avoid any sort of repercussion and they stepped away from the guards, walking a short distance until they were out of earshot. Tristan glanced back at the broken elevator, thinking.

"Tristan?" Shepard prompted.

"Garneau is here," Tristan replied and focused on the squad.

"What makes you say that?" Javik asked, a hint of annoyance in his tone. Was it because Tristan was able to pick up on things that he wasn't or did he just hate being around such primitive beings?

"The first time Shepard mentioned his name, the guard took too long to answer and the way he answered was just…off. Then when Shepard suggested looking around, the other guard answered too quickly, like he was nervous. And I would bet my entire year's salary that that elevator was sabotaged," Tristan explained.

"I thought you don't gamble?" Shepard teased.

Tristan smiled. "It's not gambling when you know you're right. It can't be a coincidence that the elevator that we need to use is the one that's broken. That being said, a facility like this won't risk their production being affected by a single broken elevator. There will be another way in. We just need to find it."

Shepard was thoughtful for a moment. "Let's look around…carefully."

They started to investigate the area and attempted to speak with the other miners however every attempt was met with some version of "You don't belong here", regardless of the question that was asked. Shepard stumbled across a few datapads but they didn't have any relevant information. After a short while, they still hadn't found anything so they reconvened to come up with a plan. Leaving was not an option.

"We need to fix that elevator," Alenko decided.

"Agreed. With the amount of interference we're getting here, I don't think looking for another way is an option right now," Shepard said.

Tristan nodded her head. "Every second we delay increases the chances that the Reapers will send us more company."

Shepard led the way over to the elevator so they could get a closer look. Tristan walked over to the nearby repair console and started typing away. It looked like someone had attempted to sabotage the console as well but gave up shortly thereafter, maybe assuming that it wasn't worth it or that no one would attempt to fix the elevator. While she worked, the other members of the squad were keeping an eye on the creepy miners. After a few more minutes of typing and fiddling with the few wires that were sticking out and some direction from EDI, the screen suddenly lit up and promptly informed everyone that the repair terminal had been activated. A small drone appeared and hovered beside the terminal. Tristan brought up her omni-tool and programmed it to guide the drone. Some programmes were so clingy.

She led the drone over towards the elevator and waited while it attempted to repair the damage. The squad waited awkwardly as the drone worked, fully aware that they were out in the open and in full view of every miner in the room. Thankfully, the miners didn't seem to notice the undergoing repairs and Tristan had to wonder whether this was a good or a bad thing. Sure, it meant the miners weren't going to suddenly attack them but it also wasn't normal. The drone was able to complete the repairs without incident and then disappeared. Shepard activated the elevator's security log and found Garneau's name on the list. At least they could now be sure they were in the right place. They all grouped together on the lift and kept a careful eye out, in case the miners suddenly turned aggressive. Tristan hoped that they could get out of her soon. This place was far too creepy for her liking.

"The security log recorded Dr Garneau had been through the facility in the last seven days," EDI suddenly mentioned. "Why would they lie about it?"

Shepard shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. Let's just hope we don't have to look too far to find Garneau." She was quiet for another moment. "Tristan, I want you to go back to the shuttle."

Tristan knew she had been distracted but that didn't mean she should be punished. "What? Why?" she asked, trying to keep from sounding whiny.

"The Reapers aren't far behind us so they must know Garneau is here. Assuming we do find him, we can't afford to let our escape route be cut off and I don't want Lieutenant Cortez put in unnecessary danger," Shepard explained. "You're used to operating independently," she added quickly, as if that cleared everything up.

Tristan couldn't find a fault in that logic and it meant spending less time with Javik, among others. It also got her out of the creepy place much sooner than she could have hoped. Without needing to be told twice, Tristan turned around and headed back towards the shuttle. She explained the situation to Lieutenant Cortez and not long after, they were both sitting in the shuttle's pilot's seats. They had the radio channel patched in so they could hear everything that the others said and Tristan had brought up various monitors to keep track of any possible Reaper appearances. There wasn't much else they could do…except talk, apparently.

"Are you all right?" Lieutenant Cortez asked, breaking the silence. "You've been distracted today."

Tristan didn't want to answer at first but then she shrugged in response. "I got a call from my boss. He's really good at ruining people's days."

"Is that…all?" he ventured carefully, giving her the space to wriggle out of the conversation if she wanted.

"We have a rule," she started. "Well, it's not really a rule, per se, but it keeps agents in line. _The job comes first_." She mimicked her boss childishly and then rolled her eyes. "Basically, anything that does not have anything to do with achieving mission success is to be ignored and strongly discouraged. I didn't really have a problem with it before but…" She shrugged again and drifted off, not entirely sure where her train of thought was heading.

"But you weren't acquainted with Mr Vega then," he finished for her. There was no teasing tone and he understood her better than she had realised.

"And Shepard was always a distant friend, you know. She never impacted my work," Tristan continued. "But, on the other hand, Black Ops is all I've ever known. It's also what I'm good at and there aren't many jobs that require my particular set of skills. And, in case you hadn't noticed, I am clueless when it comes to relationships."

Lieutenant Cortez did smile at the last comment however he decided not to tease her about it. "I don't have all the answers, Tristan, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise but what makes you happy?"

Tristan didn't answer because she didn't have one, for once. Lieutenant Cortez suddenly found one of the monitors to be far more interesting so he wasn't expecting an answer which was a relief. She pondered it for a few moments. She loved her work: the combat situations, breaking laws on occasion (as long as she didn't get caught or the Alliance wasn't implicated), undercover work…being a spy and assassin was fun yet it didn't make her happy. It gave her nightmares and sometimes made her doubt the kind of person she was or wanted to be. Being a part of a crew – this crew – was different. They depended on each other for support but it was more than that. They were like family – one really screwed up, violent family but a family nonetheless. And now she was a part of it.

She decided they needed to worry about the Reapers now otherwise there wouldn't be a future to worry about. A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Do you think this is a bit weird?"

Lieutenant Cortez was still investigating the monitors. "You mean the lack of anything Reaper?"

She sat forward in her chair and also started to look around at the information. "Yeah. We took out some of their forces so they should know we're here. Why are they waiting so long to make a move?"

"Maybe they're waiting until the Commander has Dr Garneau and will come in as we try to leave," he suggested.

"It makes sense," Tristan replied slowly and then opened a radio channel that was connected to the _Normandy_. "Hey, Joker. You getting any readings up there?"

"_Nothing,"_ he replied. _"Why? You getting bored down there?"_

She smiled. "Something like that but Cortez and I think something should have happened by now. The Reapers are obviously invested in finding this thing and Shepard won't go by unnoticed."

Joker hummed thoughtfully. _"I'll get EDI to boost the instruments and let you know if I find anything."_

"Appreciate it."

Tristan closed the channel again and leant back in her seat. She was suddenly very restless. There was nothing more annoying than knowing a fight was coming but having no idea when it would start. Heavy interference suddenly came over the radio, causing Cortez and Tristan to wince in unison. It disappeared just as quickly as it appeared and Tristan shook her head to the side to get rid of the ringing.

"Shepard, was that you?" Tristan asked over the radio.

"_We found Garneau but he seems possessed, like Bryson's assistant. The Leviathan doesn't seem to like us,"_ Shepard explained breathlessly.

"_I hate to interrupt but has anyone ever told you you're a jinx, Tristan?"_ Joker cut in.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess: more Reapers?"

Joker scoffed. _"You should be picking them up at any moment."_

A couple of monitors lit up and things started to beep. Tristan drew her submachine gun and made sure there was a fresh clip ready. "Thanks, Joker. Shepard, watch out."

"_Understood. Shepard out."_

"Keep an eye on the instruments and I'll stand guard outside," Tristan decided.

"Got it," Lieutenant Cortez replied.

Tristan headed outside and took a few steps down the catwalks so there was some distance between her and the shuttle. Then she took up a kneeling position and focused on keeping an eye out. It was possible the Reapers would focus on Shepard's position and ignore the shuttle but she couldn't afford to let her guard down just in case the catwalks got swarmed. It was silent for a long time and it was very creepy. She was listening out for any tiny noise so she wasn't ambushed. Eventually, husks started to crawl up the catwalks, one at a time with lengthy time delays which was odd. The Reapers were clearly focusing on Shepard but they weren't ignoring the shuttle. Not completely, at least.

There was an explosion but it was too far away to be a threat. It was more of a distant sound that Tristan only heard because she was concentrating so much and listening so intently. Whatever had caused the explosion though definitely stirred up the Reapers. Shepard must have been getting close. The husks started to attack more frequently and Marauders also started to turn up. Thankfully, there weren't any Brutes or Ravagers.

_Yet_ she added mentally and then remembered what Joker had said. _Never mind. Not thinking about it._

The catwalks had proved to be an advantage so Tristan used her biotics to throw anything that got too close over the railings. At times like these, she really wanted to know how to make a singularity. She pushed the thought aside and focused on keeping the Reaper forces away from the shuttle. They must have realised Shepard wasn't going to be stopped so they were going to try to get rid of her escape route. That wasn't going to happen. Tristan paused and looked around in confusion. The Reaper forces were…running away? She didn't quite believe it.

"Cortez, you seeing this?" she called out.

Lieutenant Cortez peered around the open door. "Yes."

"Is it making sense to you?"

"No."

"Thought so," she remarked.

"Hang on," he called back. "Got Shepard on the radio."

"I'll hang back here, make sure they aren't planning anything sneaky." She got to her feet and looked around, slowly walking backwards towards the shuttle.

"We're moving out," Lieutenant Cortez shouted.

Tristan cast a last look around and then hurried into the shuttle. She had barely closed the door when the shuttle took off and she figured he wanted to get off this asteroid just as badly as she did. Cortez hovered the shuttle just low enough to pick up the others and Tristan watched them board one by one: Alenko, EDI, Javik and finally Shepard. Tristan looked past them expectantly but then Shepard closed the door.

"Uh…Shepard, I don't mean to tell you how to do your job but aren't you forgetting someone?"

Shepard was not impressed. "Garneau's dead."

Tristan frowned. "But you were just chasing him not long ago. Did you kill him?"

"Of course not," Shepard answered rather hotly.

Tristan raised her hands in surrender. "I'm just trying to make sense of the situation, Nadine."

"Garneau was dead for weeks," Alenko supplied helpfully. "Who we thought was Garneau was just someone indoctrinated to be him and run interference. After he blew up the artefact, we realised what was wrong."

"Artefact?" Tristan repeated. "Like the one in Bryson's lab?" Shepard nodded and Tristan was quiet a moment. "It was just after the explosion that the Reapers ran off."

"This Leviathan is turning them into cowards," Javik growled.

"Let's get back to the _Normandy_ and regroup," Shepard decided. "Everyone needs to be on this. And EDI, see what you can find out about Dr Ann Bryson."

"I shall begin immediately, Shepard," the AI replied.


	21. Race

**This chapter does end suddenly but the section in the **_**Leviathan**_** DLC is pretty much rinse and repeat and there's only so many ways I can reword it. I also didn't want to put off writing this chapter again because it has been far too long since my last update. Hope you enjoy.**

**Also thank you for all of the reviews, favourites and alerts. I appreciate them a lot.**

**And hope you all have a happy new year! May 2014 be awesome for all of you!**

**Chapter 21: Race**

"Ten years?" Tristan repeated. "They lost ten years?"

Shepard sighed in slight annoyance. All of the ground squad members had gathered in the War Room and were loitering around the large circular terminal so they could discuss what had happened on the asteroid and try to come up with some sort of plan for moving forward. Shepard had already sent her report to Admiral Hackett and had just finished relaying the events to the others. Tristan knew she could have made all sorts of comments – _I've heard about losing the keys to your skycar but how do you lose ten years?_ – but she just couldn't bring herself to be the smartass in the room this time and it had nothing to do with the way Javik kept sending her annoyed glares.

Shepard massaged her temples in frustration. "Yes, Tristan. For the third time, the miners have no recollection of the past ten years."

Normally, Tristan would have ignored her tone but she was in a mood. Instead, she grit her teeth to keep from snapping back and folded her arms in front of her chest. They were both on edge and tense but for very different reasons. Even though Shepard and Alenko had solved most of their personal problems, Shepard was still frustrated with the professional things. They still were no closer to finding the Leviathan and Mahavid only gave them more questions without any answers. Tristan still didn't approve of looking for the Leviathan but her boss' words were what annoyed her the most. She had thought that the conversation with Lieutenant Cortez had eased her anxiety and sense of unease but apparently, it didn't.

The other crew members were starting to notice. Alenko kept glancing between them with a vaguely confused look on his face because it was a rare sight for them to be arguing. Sure, they'd had their disagreements but they had kept things friendly and usually involved teasing each other more than anything else. This was something different entirely and Alenko was one of the few crew members who could tell when Shepard was genuinely annoyed. James kept glancing at her with an almost concealed look of concern and she knew it was because she was acting completely out of character which was something that unnerved James. She could tell that much from the way he had attempted to comfort her after the attempted coup and the story of how Kai Leng nearly killed her. The fact that when she showed her annoyance or frustration could be regarded as being out of character only annoyed her more but she couldn't say why.

Liara cleared her throat nervously. "The events of Mahavid proved that the Leviathan possesses the ability to indoctrinate as well as to kill a Reaper."

"What if the Leviathan is a Reaper?" Garrus asked.

Shepard shook her head slowly. "We don't have enough information to even guess what it could or couldn't be."

"We don't have any information," Tristan corrected softly. When Shepard sent her a glare, she shrugged. "We don't. All we have is Bryson's word that it killed a Reaper and cases of indoctrination that could just as well be explained by Reapers. Everything we have now is circumstantial."

"What about those artefacts?" Liara pointed out.

"We have no concrete proof that they are connected to the Leviathan," Tristan repeated. "For all we know, it could be the equivalent to Prothean Beacons of whatever race existed 50 000 years before the Protheans."

"Why are you fighting this so hard?" Shepard asked impatiently. Tristan had made it clear that she felt searching for the Leviathan was a bad idea.

"It is because she wishes they did not exist," Javik answered instead. "She is scared of them."

A tense silence followed as Tristan and Javik glared at each other. Even Shepard was surprised by the answer, her impatience forgotten. Tristan resisted the urge to jump over the computer terminal and tackle the smug Prothean to the ground. Instead, she had to settle for narrowing her eyes in a look of barely controlled anger. She didn't like what her boss had implied so she definitely didn't approve of what Javik had said outright. A Black Ops agent didn't get scared…or so people kept telling her and she definitely didn't like being told she was scared when she knew she wasn't.

"Listen here, Four Eyes," Tristan snapped and only barely registered that it probably wasn't the best insult ever. Lizard Man wasn't a better alternative. "I am not scared of the Leviathan. We know nothing about it. We don't know its full capabilities but if it can kill a Reaper, then imagine what it can do to us. We have no assurances that the Leviathan will help us. There is no guarantee that it won't simply wipe us out more effectively than the Reapers are currently doing. At least against the Reapers, we have a chance. So, yes, I am being _cautious_." She emphasized the word to make it clear she wasn't scared. "I just want to make sure we have as much information as possible before we go blindly stumbling after something that could just as easily kill us because information can be a weapon. All you do is remark about our primitive ways so how about you use your _superior_ insight and tell us whatever it is you think we are missing."

"We did not know of the Leviathans in my time," Javik replied and there was a slight hint of discomfit.

Tristan stopped glaring at him but she never broke eye contact. "That isn't what I asked."

When Javik didn't answer, Tristan looked away from him and focused on the computer terminal. She knew the others were looking at her in surprise. She hadn't lost her temper so openly in front of all of them before and she really didn't want to see the looks on their faces right now. And the last time she'd felt this angry, it had been because of Cerberus and not a crew member. She knew this anger could lead back to the cold hearted, emotionless assassin she'd been years ago and that was dangerous territory. She couldn't face the concern she knew she would see on the others.

"Tristan is right," Shepard said after the silence continued for a few moments. "We don't have a lot of information right now. We also don't know how long the Leviathan has been here or why."

"I've been examining Dr Garneau's notes," EDI interjected. "And it would appear that he created a way to block the artefact's mind-affecting properties. It seems that the artefact may be the key."

"Then it would probably be best if we return to Dr Bryson's lab," Shepard decided. "With Garneau's information, we might be able to make sense of anything we overlooked the first time. EDI, I want you with me."

"Of course, Shepard," EDI replied.

"What do you hope to find there?" James asked.

Shepard shrugged. "I want to find out what the hell these artefacts are and what they are capable of doing."

"Whatever they are, they're too dangerous to have around," Garrus commented.

"And we have one sitting right in the middle of the Citadel," Shepard suddenly realised. Then she sighed tiredly. "Meeting's over. Hopefully, the stop on the Citadel will be quick so no shore leave while we're there. Only resupply and refuelling. Get some rest."

They cleared the room in silence as the discussion had been more serious than anyone had expected. Tristan made her way to her quarters without looking at anyone or saying a word. Once inside her quarters, she was at a loss of what to do. All she knew was she wanted to be alone. Now…she had no clue. There might be files from the Alliance – more videos about Reaper combat to review, briefings on the activities of various groups, maybe even some intel on Cerberus' latest activities – but she couldn't work. Instead, she flopped down in front of her computer terminal and stared at her reflection in the dark surface. Things had been so much simpler when she knew what she wanted. Then again, nothing had threatened her job before and truthfully, it was all she had known for most of her life. It was safe and secure in the fact that she knew it. The unknown? It terrified her.

If she ignored her boss and chose Shepard, James and the crew of the _Normandy_ over everything else, what would that mean for her? She could always become a freelance mercenary but then there weren't any rules and regulations to keep her in line and the idea of having that possibility made her worry. She could always become a soldier – a proper member of the Alliance…but they had too many rules and regulations and often depended on team work. Tristan wasn't exactly a team player. Besides, all of this depended on the fact that James and the crew of the _Normandy_ would return her feelings. If they didn't, then she would have given up everything for nothing.

Tristan sighed and placed her forehead on the surface of the desk. She'd always enjoyed taking risks – and had the scars to prove it – but this time, she wasn't so sure. A part of her couldn't help but wonder: _would it be worth it?_ The last time she'd taken a risk like this, it had backfired quite extraordinarily. But James was different…although she still had no idea if he meant any of the flirting, despite what Shepard had claimed during a conversation that felt like a lifetime ago. _What makes you happy?_ Lieutenant Cortez's question suddenly repeated in her mind and she sighed tiredly. All this thinking was making her brain hurt.

Unexpectedly, the computer terminal hummed into life and Tristan looked up in confusion. Instead of her own reflection, she now saw a young girl peering into the computer monitor. Her hair was tied back in a low pony and it was the colour of copper – a mix of her parents' hair colour. Her green eyes were a few shades darker than Tristan's and always reminded her of her brother Dylan. Even though Tristan had made the effort to send messages to her niece and nephew whenever she could, she had avoided making actual contact with them. Yet somehow, her niece was now staring at her in a look of surprise.

"_Aunt Tristan?"_ she asked hesitantly.

Tristan was just as surprised. "Keira?"

"_I've been trying to get through for days,"_ Keira explained.

"We've been in Reaper territory," Tristan replied. "No communications."

Keira frowned. _"Oh."_

When an awkward pause followed, Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Your mother doesn't want you talking to me."

"_How'd you know?"_ Keira asked, shocked.

"Because I am just that awesome," Tristan answered and then shrugged. "I don't want to get you into any trouble with her."

Keira sighed in response. _"But she refuses to tell us anything and we're being treated like kids here."_

"I hate to break it to you, Keira, but you are a kid," Tristan pointed out with an amused smile. "At least for another three years."

"_Ugh. Not you too,"_ Keira whined. _"When do I stop being a kid and start being a teenager?"_

"When you start bringing boys home that your mother won't approve of and joyride in stolen skycars," Tristan answered.

"_Is that a recommendation?"_ Keira asked with a grin.

"Definitely not," Tristan replied, still smiling. "How are you and your brother doing?"

Keira sighed and all of her amusement vanished. _"It's tough here. No one tells us anything although Uncle Steven makes sure we know all about what you're up to. Everyone's so…"_ She drifted off as she struggled to think of the right word.

Tristan tried to keep smiling but knowing her niece and nephew were with the scientists researching the Crucible was both a blessing and a curse. Admiral Hackett had promised to keep them safe and as long as the Reapers never learnt where they were hiding the Crucible, then Keira and Luca were in the safest place possible. However, it also meant being exposed to a lot of people who knew just how serious the situation was as well as their chances of survival. Tristan wanted them to keep their childhood innocence for as long as possible – a luxury she never had when growing up.

The smile faded from her face and she looked away from her niece. "I won't lie to you, Keira. Things are bad." She looked up again. "But that's why I'm out here, with Commander Shepard. We're doing everything we can to stop the Reapers from succeeding."

"_I know,"_ Keira murmured quietly. _"Just don't get yourself killed, Aunt Tris."_

Before Tristan could say anything to that very serious order, spiky brown hair made its way into frame and then Luca pulled himself into Keira's chair, half pushing her off. He was grinning happily and Tristan knew his childhood innocence wasn't in danger.

"_Hi Auntie!"_ Luca practically shouted.

"Hey, little man," Tristan replied and she couldn't stop the smirk that formed. Even Keira was smiling again.

"_Did you really see that Thresher Maw take down the Reaper?"_ he asked with wide eyed curiosity.

"See it? Your auntie helped make it happen," a voice commented from the door.

Tristan looked over her shoulder to find James standing there, looking all too amused. She hadn't missed the way he'd repeated 'auntie' and knew more teasing was coming her way.

Luca gasped in surprise, first eying the huge Marine and then looking at her again. _"You did? Was it awesome?"_

Tristan glanced from James' smirk to Keira's knowing smile (what was with teenaged girls and sniffing out romance?) to Luca's awe. "Of course it was. It's me we're talking about." She knew that just gave James even more ammunition to use against her. "James, this is my niece Keira and her brother, Luca."

Before James could reply, Keira's smile had turned into a smirk. _"Are you two dating?"_

Tristan knew she should have seen that coming but she didn't. "Uh…" she answered eloquently and James cleared his throat awkwardly. If she had been capable of blushing, she probably would have been. Sure, there was something between them and they had gone out together a few times but she wouldn't classify those as 'dates' and she could tell James didn't either considering he didn't have an answer for Keira.

Thankfully, Luca didn't care one bit for this sort of stuff. _"Were you there too?"_

Tristan could almost feel James' relief at the change of topic. "Of course. I even saved your auntie a couple of times."

She looked at him over her shoulder and found him grinning as he stood just behind her chair. "You did not."

"Yeah, I did."

"No, you didn't."

This went back and forth for a couple of minutes until they realised Keira and Luca were laughing at them.

"He has no clue what he's talking about," Tristan reassured them.

"But I totally saved her," James added in a stage whisper.

She was grinning, despite herself, and she shook her head in amusement. They said their farewells and ended the call shortly thereafter. Tristan strongly suspected that EDI had something to do with the call coming through and James coming into her quarters without her hearing him. It was amazing how three people could turn her mood around so easily. Once she'd turned off her computer, she found James sitting on her bed opposite her and guessed he'd come here for more than eavesdropping.

"Have you made a decision about the N programme?" she asked.

"I'm going to do it," James answered. "I thought about what you and Shepard said and you were both right."

"Congratulations," she replied with a smile. "I would suggest celebrating on the Citadel but that might have to wait a while."

"Are you all right?" he suddenly asked. "I mean, it made a nice change seeing Javik put in his place but…"

"But me being that angry was weird," she guessed and when he nodded, she sighed. "Before Mahavid, I got a call from my boss. On a good day, he's an ass but he was in exceptional form."

"What did he say?" James asked.

"Well, he lectured me for bending a few rules which is nothing new but then he implied that my position on the _Normandy_ – or why he allows it, more like – is dependent on my reporting the crew's activities to him," she explained. "I haven't been doing that, which is why he was so angry, but he also mentioned that if I didn't do it…well, he didn't make that part clear. Either I'll be removed from the _Normandy_ or I'll be fired."

"Did you tell Shepard any of this?" he asked.

She shook her head. "She has enough to deal with at the moment."

"Well, he can't do much while we're in the middle of dealing with the Reapers," James pointed out. "Besides, we won't let them take you away. You're part of the crew."

Tristan smiled. Those words had the greatest effect in improving her mood although Keira and Luca helped quite a bit. "And Shepard wouldn't last five minutes without me," she added.

Since they were nearing the Citadel, James then suggested that Tristan join him and Joker in a game of poker against Alenko. Apparently, James and Joker were setting Alenko up to lose against them as a prank. Tristan agreed, if only for the entertainment value but they only got as far as leaving the elevator when Garrus approached her.

"Garrus," Tristan greeted with a smile. "Done calibrating already?"

Garrus looked like he was about to reply and then chose not to. "You and Javik still having problems?"

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "That makes us sound like an old married couple." James burst out laughing while Garrus was trying very hard not to laugh. She sighed in annoyance. "I've just opened myself up to a whole lot of mocking," she murmured.

"Anyway…" Garrus replied when he'd regained his composure. "I have an idea to fix that."

Tristan looked at the Turian incredulously. "All right, I'll bite. How?"

Those few words led to Tristan and Javik sitting on cots next to each other in the Medical Bay with an unimpressed Dr Chakwas hovering between them. Tristan had a bruise forming on her right cheek and along her jaw, her shoulder hurt and her ribs ached. The knuckles on her right hand were bleeding – she hadn't put on wraps – and her hand was sore. Javik's injuries were less obvious although she was certain his chest was hurt and that he had a split lip. She held an ice pack against her jaw while Alenko dutifully tended to her hand. Dr Chakwas was focused on Javik. She had made the decision to not allow them any medi-gel in the hopes that the pain and slower healing would teach them a lesson. Tristan somehow doubted that. It was then that Shepard marched into the Medical Bay looking somewhat angry. Tristan looked over to Javik and they shared a look that said they knew they were about to get into serious trouble.

"What the hell happened here?" Shepard demanded.

Without removing the ice pack, Tristan decided to reply. "The first rule of Fight Club…" she drifted off when Shepard narrowed her eyes impatiently.

"I'm not in the mood for your jokes, Tristan," Shepard replied. "I expected more from you."

Tristan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? Because I didn't. At least I didn't break the ship," she pointed out hopefully, like it would earn her some points back.

"As Executive Officer of this crew, you can't go around fighting other crew members just because you don't like them. So, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt." Shepard's tone didn't soften. "Explanation. Now."

"Fine," Tristan sighed and then winced slightly. "It was suggested to us that if we were to vent our anger with each other through hand to hand combat, it would improve our relationship and the overall crew cohesion on the ship."

Shepard exhaled slowly. "Garrus?"

"We will not…" Javik glanced at Tristan and then spoke as if the word was unfamiliar. "…snitch."

Tristan fought extremely hard to keep a straight face, especially when Shepard glanced between the two of them with a confused expression. Even Alenko seemed at a loss for words. After a few more moments, Shepard sighed in annoyance.

"When you two are done getting patched up, go to the War Room," she ordered. She spun on her heels and left.

"The Commander is not pleased," Javik commented.

"Well, technically speaking, she never ordered us not to fight," Tristan said.

"That's because an order like that goes without saying," Alenko interjected, trying to keep his tone even. Tristan didn't know if he was struggling to keep amusement or annoyance under control.

Dr Chakwas stepped away from Javik. "You are free to leave, Commander."

Javik bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you, doctor." Then he turned to look at Tristan. "It was a good fight, Agent."

She smiled in return. "That it was. See you upstairs."

The Prothean left the room, making his way towards the elevator. Alenko had finished cleaning the cuts and was starting to wrap a bandage around her hand. Dr Chakwas then started to run the usual tests to check for a concussion. She was making it pretty obvious that she was just as unimpressed as Shepard was about the whole incident.

"Under any other circumstances, it could be regarded as training," Tristan said. "Yet, because we don't like each other, suddenly it's bad."

Dr Chakwas pursed her lips in annoyance as she took a step back. "I believe you're missing the point, Tristan."

"So, it's fine if Shepard spars with James but I can't do it with Javik?" she asked.

Dr Chakwas sighed softly. "I suppose you have a point."

Alenko finished with the bandage and then left. Dr Chakwas cleared her for duty and insisted she keep the ice pack so she headed up to the War Room, keeping it pressed against her jaw. When she finally arrived, it took her a moment to notice that she was the last one to arrive as Alenko had walked off without her when the elevator arrived. They were standing around the circular computer terminal again so she wandered over to an open space between Shepard and Specialist Traynor. A few people gave her amused looks while others avoided looking at her altogether because of Shepard's obvious annoyance.

"Now that we're all here," Shepard began irritably. "EDI and I managed to block the signals from the artefact in Bryson's lab. It also appears that Bryson's daughter, Ann, may have found something important."

"We were able to pinpoint her location to the Pylos Nebula," EDI added.

Tristan glanced up at that. "The Pylos Nebula?" she repeated.

Shepard gave her a tired look in response. "You've developed a thing for repeating things today, haven't you?"

Rather than respond, she shifted the ice pack from her jaw and placed it on her shoulder instead where it balanced perfectly. "I just like to make sure I'm hearing things right."

"Except when it comes to orders," Shepard pointed out and there was a small smile on her face. "What do you know about the Nebula?"

Tristan wanted to argue but Shepard closed the opening too quickly so she decided to move on. "There's been a massive spike in Reaper activity over the past few days."

"How massive are we talking?" Garrus asked.

Tristan considered the question and then turned her attention to the computer terminal. From where she was, she accessed her personal files and a large representation of the galaxy map appeared in the large circular area where Shepard had explained her plan for Tuchanka. A couple of systems flashed red, others remained red and some were blue.

"Just keep in mind that this is technically classified," Tristan began her explanation. "So, don't tell anyone I told you."

"It will be hard to do that if we have no idea what we're looking at," Liara said.

"The galaxy," Tristan pointed out helpfully but before anyone could respond sarcastically, she continued. "Based on reports, Black Ops has attempted to map out Reaper activity. It updates in real time and gives us an idea of where the Reapers are focusing and whether or not there are tactical targets to consider. The solid red systems have the highest numbers of Reaper forces. From what we can tell, they're focusing on systems where there is a heavy Turian or Human presence. Those flashing red – Asari, Salarian, Volus and Batarian territories – do have a slight Reaper presence, basically scouts or chasing others seeking refuge."

"I assume blue systems have little to no Reaper forces?" Alenko guessed.

Tristan was about to nod but then thought better of it. "Yes. This map is from a week ago, roughly, before we started looking for the Leviathan." She hit a few keys and the map shifted. Most of the details were unchanged however another system was now red.

"The Pylos Nebula?" Shepard asked.

"From the data we've collected," Tristan explained, "the Reaper forces in the other red systems took weeks to reach those sorts of numbers. The Pylos Nebula took a fraction of the time and there are no tactical targets."

"So, the Reapers are definitely searching for the Leviathan," James commented.

"It also means we're going to meet heavy resistance going after Ann Bryson," Shepard agreed.

"Are you sure this representation is accurate?" Specialist Traynor suddenly asked and Tristan realised she was staring at the map in something akin to awe.

"Between Reaper interference and damaged communications, it is hard to be sure just how accurate this is but we've done our best," Tristan answered. "Although, it doesn't take into account indoctrination…or husks. Why?"

Specialist Traynor didn't answer immediately. "If you could give me access, I might be able to tweak it and make it more reliable."

Well, her boss was already furious with her anyway… "I can do you one better," Tristan answered. Instead of explaining, she did some more typing. "EDI?"

_::_Normandy's_ galaxy map sync has been successful. Specialist Traynor's terminal has full access and _Normandy_ will receive updates as they come.::_

Traynor smiled before hurrying out of the War Room and to her console.

"I thought you said this was classified?" Shepard asked with barely concealed amusement.

Tristan also smiled. "Well, it'll probably take Black Ops weeks to figure out what I did, thanks to EDI, and by then, whatever Traynor comes up with will probably impress them. Besides, I don't see the point of keeping that secret."

Shepard then turned serious. "Since we're expecting a lot of Reapers, we're all going to rescue Ann Bryson. She's our best chance of finding Leviathan so I don't the Reapers getting in our way. Make sure all of your gear is prepped and ready to go." Then she glanced between Javik and Tristan. "And you two? Don't even think about asking Doc for some medi-gel."

Javik looked annoyed but he didn't question the order. Tristan, on the other hand, examined her ice pack with a critical eye. "You think if I pack enough of these in my hardsuit, they'll have the same effects as medi-gel?"

Shepard sighed annoyance and put her face in her hand. "Seriously?"

"Besides, where exactly can you fit any?" James asked innocently.

"It's not my fault you lack imagination, lieutenant," Tristan answered with a smirk.

Shepard threw her hands up in mock agitation. "That's it, I'm leaving before this conversation gets any weirder." She did however pause when she reached the door. It was no surprise that everyone started to laugh but it was surprising that Javik was also laughing.

* * *

><p>They were able to find Ann Bryson's dig site on the planet of Namakli – an arid planet mostly inhabited by Vorcha. The ground squad wasn't taking any chances: everyone had suited up, even Liara (Shepard and Tristan joked that her archaeologist senses were tingling), and everyone brought every weapon they had been trained with. Shields were fully charged, hardsuits checked and rechecked and all biotics had a stash of energy bars with them, just in case. Everyone also made sure they had as many spare clips as they could carry. It was perhaps overkill but they couldn't be too careful. They were all seated throughout the shuttle, discussing the upcoming mission but silence followed when Shepard stood up.<p>

"All right. We've confirmed that the dig site has been attacked which means the Reapers are one step ahead of us. As much as I want to close the gap, we aren't taking any unnecessary risks. We don't know what we'll be facing down there so, just in case, we'll divide into groups if it becomes necessary. I'm alpha with EDI and Liara. Kaidan, you're beta with Javik, Garrus and James. Tristan, you'll be scout and recon." There was a round of 'aye, aye, Commander' and then she turned to face Cortez. "Steve, have you picked up anything?"

"Ann Bryson hasn't responded to any of our hails," Cortez answered. "But I'm getting some weird signals. Hang on." There were a few moments of silence, then suddenly "We have hostiles."

Shepard's hand immediately drifted to her shotgun. "Take us in."

Cortez then called Shepard into the cockpit. Tristan heard little more than 'That's her' before something hit the shuttle. It went off course and anyone who had been standing – even one or two who hadn't been – were knocked to the floor of the shuttle.

"And cue the Reaper Welcoming Committee," Tristan muttered as she helped Liara up.

"At least we know we're in the right place," James commented as he got to his feet too.

"Tristan!" Shepard suddenly shouted from the cockpit. A silent message passed between them and where Shepard looked less than impressed, Tristan grinned like it was Christmas morning.

Without a word, she headed to the shuttle door and opened it while Shepard got everyone else ready. Cortez aimed the shuttle towards the landing pad and without it slowing down, they all jumped through the door. Tristan, having been trained for this, had taken point and as soon as her feet hit the platform, she tucked into a roll and popped up again with her submachine gun in hand. By the time the others had recovered, she'd already cleared the landing platform of a handful of husks. She looked up just in time to see the shuttle veer away with three Harvesters chasing it. That explained a lot. She hoped Lieutenant Cortez would be all right.

Tristan tore her eyes away from the horizon and focused on the nearby building when she heard someone shouting. It sounded like a woman so she assumed it was Ann Bryson, especially after Shepard started to walk in the direction of it. They moved as a single squad until they had more information but they kept glancing skywards just in case more flaming fireballs rained overheard or if the Harvesters got too close. The last thing they needed was an ambush. As they approached the room, there were a few explosions and whatever electrical devices sputtered dangerously. Walls fell away and they soon found themselves standing above a large ravine with only the remains of destroyed buildings as a bridge. Harvesters swarmed the sky around them and Tristan realised just how much they annoyed her.

"_Tristan, take point,"_ Shepard ordered over the radio. There was too much noise to be heard over. _"Try to find a safe path across. EDI, try to lock onto Ann Bryson's location."_

Tristan wasn't surprised by her new orders. Her hardsuit was the lightest and she also probably had the least amount of gear – aside from EDI, maybe – which made her the best choice. She also enjoyed these sorts of life threatening situations and knew how to move quickly in these sorts of circumstances. She walked forward and didn't bother drawing a weapon. The entire _Normandy_ ground squad had her back and she needed to concentrate. She moved quickly but carefully, making sure the collapsed rooms and walls ahead were safe enough for them to walk across while the short conversations between Shepard and Ann Bryson over the radio faded to the background. As if that wasn't enough, she had to avoid flying pieces of debris and more explosions.

Once Tristan had covered enough ground, she looked up to check her progress and noticed a few husks ahead. Before she could even signal Shepard or draw her gun, the husks ran off the edge of the makeshift bridge. Other husks ran blindly in circles before they too went over the edge. That was unexpected. With the path clear once again, she continued to move forward. She held up her hand to signal to stop as they reached a high edge and a few Cannibals were below. Shepard, Kaidan, Garrus and James killed them instantly, even the ones that had been drawn from their hiding places by the sounds of gunfire and Tristan dropped down. The makeshift bridge didn't move or groan ominously so she signalled it was safe and continued on her way.

Tristan cut through a heavily damaged laboratory and froze when it shook violently. It was over in a few moments and everyone was unharmed. Tristan carefully took a step forward and when nothing happened, she frowned.

"I don't think that had anything to do with us," she commented.

"_You think the Harvesters might be trying to prevent us from reaching Ann?"_ Shepard asked.

Tristan took a few more cautious steps forward. "It sounds plausible. She is their – and our – best chance of finding the Leviathan."

"_Everyone, proceed carefully,"_ Shepard warned.

Just as Tristan approached another staircase, a Harvester came out of nowhere and crashed into it. Tristan managed to get out of the way just in time as an explosion followed and the stairs crumbled into tiny pieces.

"I really hate those things," Tristan muttered as she got to her feet.

"_Is everyone all right?"_ Shepard asked and once everyone had answered that they were fine, she continued. _"Look for another way."_

Tristan turned to face Shepard and then noticed a ladder behind Shepard which she pointed at. "Should I see where that goes?"

"_Doesn't look like we have any other option,"_ Garrus replied.

Tristan walked over and started to climb up the ladder. Just as she reached the top, a husk charged at her. Since it was alone, she used her biotics to toss it over the side and then gave the all clear. As they ascended the ladder one by one, Tristan walked over to the edge of the roof and noticed a gap that they could easily jump over to solid ground which looked like part of the large mountain. Tristan cleared the gap easily and took a few steps away to see where the ledge led.

"It looks like there's a bridge down this way," she informed them.

A moment later, Shepard was standing at her shoulder. They approached the control panel and soon discovered that it was damaged which was odd under the circumstances. Tristan decided not to draw attention to this and EDI was volunteered to fix the panel. No sooner had EDI started to work on it then fireballs rained down on their location. At first, it was only husks so the biotics pushed them over the edge of the cliff. Then there were husks and Cannibals. And then, Marauders were added to the chaos. Tristan sighed in frustration. With one hand, she continued to fire her submachine gun and with the other, she used her biotics to throw whatever got too close over the edge. Liara had created a singularity just on the edge so anything caught in its pull would also fall off the edge. Kaidan alternated between using his assault rifle and creating barriers or putting some targets into stasis. Tristan had never seen much point in learning that but after this, she was starting to see why it would be useful.

Once the area was clear, they pushed onward but the Reapers weren't giving up that easily. They encountered many more husks along the way and even a couple of Cannibals. It seemed more like stall tactics than search and destroy. As they progressed further through the maze, they even had Ravagers to contend with. They passed through more husks, damaged laboratories, abandoned dig sites and too close for comfort explosions. Tristan just hoped they would reach Ann Bryson before the Reapers did.


	22. Long Shot

**This chapter involves more groundwork for the sequel I have in mind. It just feels that they brought up the possibility of in-fighting within Cerberus and then never actually clarified it. The mission on Benning is the only time it is mentioned, as far as I can remember. On the bright side, it does give me room for the sequel.**

**Also, thank you for the reviews, favourites and alerts. As for the latest guest review (which I loved so thank you), there will be more James/Tristan romance coming up. Tristan is just proving to be clueless and hesitant as far as he is concerned.**

**Chapter 22: Long Shot**

The mess hall was quiet and pretty empty. The crew members who weren't getting some sleep had decided to visit the Citadel. Since rescuing Ann Bryson from the Reapers, Shepard had ordered yet another trip to the Citadel to return to Dr Bryson's lab. They all hoped that Ann could provide some insight into his research but she needed some rest so Shepard had allowed the crew a few hours of shore leave and she went to brief the Council in the meantime. It wasn't ideal but Admirals Hackett and Anderson had already been updated and Shepard decided that they might need Council support so it was better to be prepared, just in case.

Tristan was sitting at a table by herself with a cup of coffee, a plate of food and a datapad in front of her. The coffee and food were mostly forgotten but she was still holding the fork in her right hand which she was tapping absently. The datapad had a blank email with the Director of Black Ops' address typed into the recipient's line. The title area was still blank as Tristan still didn't know if she needed to type 'My resignation' or 'Update on the _Normandy'._ Either option would have dire consequences for her and the longer she put off this decision, the worse they would be. Her boss was not a patient man, after all.

She had no idea how long she spent staring at the datapad until Garrus and James walked into the mess hall. She looked up at their approach and quickly realised they were comparing their achievements and quite possibly exaggerating them as part of their attempt to sound quite heroic. They continued with this while they got something to eat from the fridge and then joined her. She didn't hear most of the conversation though.

"Uh oh," Garrus suddenly remarked.

Tristan glanced up in slight confusion. "What?"

"Humans in deep thought is never a good sign," he answered.

Tristan raised an amused eyebrow but focused on her datapad again. "Only if you're a part of Shepard's crew."

"What's up?" James asked.

"Trying to decide what to send my boss," she answered without a trace of amusement. "I could resign but let's face it, no one actually leaves Black Ops. And I can only use the excuse of no communications for so long before he demands a reply." She sighed and then added in an undertone "He is such an asshole."

"And resigning and spying on the crew are your only options?" Garrus asked.

Tristan had since told the other members of the ground squad, except for Shepard and Alenko. She didn't want to concern Shepard with something she was certain she could handle on her own and in all fairness, this was more about politics – something Shepard was not very good at. It was all about misinformation and spinning stories to fit your version. Shepard was too honest for that. And she still didn't entirely trust Alenko. It was then that an idea suddenly came to Tristan and she smiled.

"Suddenly, deep in thought isn't so disconcerting," Garrus commented.

"My boss wants me to spy on you so that's what I'll do," Tristan explained and started to type quite fast on her datapad, the fork forgotten. "_Subject Vakarian spends most hours in the Main Battery calibrating the weapons,"_ she read out loud as she typed.

Garrus smiled as he caught on to what she was doing. "And when I'm not calibrating, I'm taking care of my sniper rifle or trading jokes with Joker."

Tristan nodded as she continued to type. Then she noticed James' expression. "He told me to spy and report. He didn't say what information to send to him so we'll stick with the useless stuff that has no relevance to the work we're doing. That way, I'm following orders and should buy me some more time."

With their help, she started to provide mostly useless updates on other members of the crew, including those that she didn't even know the names of (until Garrus helpfully supplied them). Even EDI supplied some information when they ran out of ideas. As she was putting on the finishing touches, Garrus made an interesting point.

"Your boss didn't specifically give you this task when you were first assigned to the _Normandy_?" he asked thoughtfully.

Tristan paused to consider the question. "No. I was recovering from an injury so I technically wasn't working until Admiral Hackett called in a few favours. The Director sent over all the necessary documentation when I was under Anderson's authority and whatnot but there weren't any orders from him. I just figured he was sulking but it did give him some favour with the Marines. You know, politics."

"Did he give you any timetable?" the Turian asked.

"The general agreement was I would serve on the _Normandy_ until we got Shepard reinstated but again, there wasn't anything about what would happen afterwards. We didn't exactly factor in Shepard's reinstatement happening on the day of the Reaper invasion," Tristan explained. "And he didn't expect any reports while the _Normandy_ was still docked in Vancouver…" She drifted off thoughtfully and then looked at Garrus. "You don't think he's indoctrinated, do you?"

"The timing is suspicious," Garrus answered. "He wants you to report on our activities once it has become known we're looking for the Leviathan, something the Reapers are interested in as well."

"And he is technically a military leader and the Reapers do indoctrinate leaders," Tristan continued and then exhaled slowly. "I don't know, Garrus. It seems a bit…"

"Far-fetched?" James guessed with an amused smile.

"The last few weeks have felt pretty far-fetched," Tristan replied. Before they could discuss the possibility any further, Shepard arrived looking mildly unamused. "So, the meeting with the Council went well?"

Shepard scoffed. "Hardly. They demanded to know why we didn't fill them in sooner and what will happen if we do find them? Will Leviathan become Humanity's weapon?" She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Anyway, I'm taking Ann to her father's lab now. Hopefully we can find some answers there."

"Need a hand?" James suddenly offered.

"Sure," Shepard answered and disappeared into the Med Lab to get Ann.

Tristan had no idea why he suddenly offered his assistance or why it was suddenly a big deal to her. She never wondered why anyone on this crew did anything. Maybe this was what it felt like to be jealous. Shepard, EDI, Ann and James left a few minutes later and Tristan ignored Garrus' amusement. He must have noticed her annoyance but he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he helped her finish off her report and then she sent it.

"I guess now we wait until he calls to lecture me again," Tristan commented and leant back in her chair. She was suddenly starving so she started to eat her food, even though it had been sitting there for a while.

"I wonder how we could go about checking if he is indoctrinated?" Garrus mused out loud.

Tristan wasn't too convinced about the texture of her cold food but at least it tasted fine. "No idea…although…"

"Although what?"

"Saren and Matriarch Benezia were both indoctrinated by a Reaper and their character did a complete 180," Tristan said.

"Saren went from subtle agent to galaxy known terrorist. Benezia turned from a loving mother into someone willing to kill her own daughter," Garrus agreed. "You're thinking the Director will act out of character?"

"Maybe not to such a degree as others. He's always been ambitious and believes Black Ops is the best in the galaxy. The Reapers could twist that, maybe make him think his agents are turning traitor," Tristan continued. "He's always hated traitors."

"And the Reapers like to twist things around. How does this help though?"

Tristan brought up her omni-tool. "I can put the word out to the other agents and tell them our suspicions, ask them for more information. It is a long shot but then again, so is everything else."

She sent out the message warning the other agents that she believed the Director might be indoctrinated and asked for any information that may confirm or even refute the idea. It was risky because the Director might see the message but the channel was usually meant for agents and he believed himself to be above them. Tristan also knew that getting any responses could take days or even weeks. She spent some time going through Black Ops logs, investigating the general orders that many of her colleagues had received and was quite surprised by something.

"Well, this is odd," she murmured.

Garrus walked back to the table as he had gone to get a refill. "What is?"

"The Director deployed all field agents. Even called back those who were on leave and other assignments," she replied.

"Isn't that standard procedure for war times?" he asked.

"Sure but he's sent agents to infiltrate our allies, basically everyone non-Reaper," she explained, knowing full well the implications of telling a Turian in contact with the Hierarchy's leader. "It doesn't make sense. During war times, we infiltrate our enemy or spy on them. In this case, Cerberus and Reapers. This is not good."

Garrus didn't reply immediately. "Is there something you can do?"

"Punishment for insubordination in Black Ops is severe," she answered. "But my message might be enough. I just need some time to figure this out, Garrus."

"I won't say anything…at least as long as Victus' life isn't in any danger."

She shook her head slowly. "The missions are information gathering only. I'll keep an eye on them. Thank you, Garrus."

"I trust you, Tristan."

Tristan knew that meant a lot and it was a huge risk on Garrus' part but she needed to figure this out. She used every trick she knew of to go digging and not get caught although there wasn't much information which wasn't that unusual. Black Ops didn't like leaving evidence behind that could condemn them so now she needed to wait on any word from other agents. It was just as she came to that conclusion when Shepard, EDI and James returned…with a husk's head. Tristan frowned and exchanged a look with Garrus to make sure she wasn't imagining this.

"Uh…James?" she asked slowly. "Why do you have a husk's head?"

He held it up proudly. "Isn't this thing great?"

"It's a husk's head," she repeated.

"That bites, apparently," Shepard added with a smile.

Tristan looked from Shepard's amusement to James' sheepish expression. "It bit you?"

"Don't worry, I put on medi-gel," he answered dismissively, like it explained everything.

The head growled suddenly and Tristan raised an eyebrow. "I suppose the better question is why Dr Bryson had it at all."

Shepard shrugged. "Come on. We're having a meeting in the War Room. James, put that away somewhere. I don't want it growling at us."

James grinned. "Aye, aye, Commander."

Tristan was immediately suspicious. Shepard, however, was focused on getting the crew together in the War Room. It didn't take long for everyone to gather around, including Specialist Traynor, and Tristan immediately noticed that James no longer had the head.

"What did you do with it?" she asked quietly.

He grinned again. "Put it on Lola's bed."

Tristan grinned too and had trouble hiding it when Shepard started to address everyone. With EDI's help, she explained Ann Bryson's theory about Leviathan and its connection to the artefact; how she likened its communication to the Rachni and how she insisted on becoming indoctrinated through the artefact to give Shepard a chance to trace it. Ann was definitely a brave woman, there was no doubt about it. EDI managed to track the signal to a system but they needed to scan the planets to locate the specific one where the Leviathans were hiding. During the long and boring process, Shepard alternated between hovering behind Joker's chair and drinking coffee in the Mess Hall. EDI eventually managed to track the signal to a planet named Despoina.

The ground squad members watched as Shepard paced up and down the mess hall. She had gathered them there to give her orders but no one knew what would happen now that their search was over. Tristan guessed that the pacing was a side effect of nervous energy and too much coffee. The Leviathan could potentially end the war – whether the Reapers won or lost – and they still weren't entirely sure what it actually was although everyone seemed to think it was a Reaper gone rogue. Tristan didn't know what to make of it but she knew she didn't like it.

Shepard abruptly stopped walking and turned to face them; her mind apparently made up. "All right. Here's what we know: the Leviathan is most likely on this planet and the Reapers aren't far behind us. I'll be taking a small ground squad with me this time. Tristan, James and Kaidan, you're coming with me. I want the rest of you to stay on the _Normandy_ and help in case the Reapers decide they're done following us. Liara, I also want you to go back over Dr Bryson and Ann's notes and see if you can find anything we missed. EDI, I want you to keep watch for the Reapers and update us on their progress. And as Tristan is coming with me, Garrus, you're Acting Executive Officer until we get back. Javik, you will assist him should the Reapers attack. Understood?"

Everyone acknowledged their orders and then dispersed. Tristan headed down to her quarters to get ready. It was only when she started to ready her weapons that she suddenly felt restless, almost like she expected something bad to happen. Suddenly, pacing around the Cargo Hold to get rid of the restless feeling didn't sound like such a bad idea. She forced the feeling aside and focused on the task at hand. Maybe she was just imagining it. Her hand hovered over her sniper rifle and then decided against it. Instead, she made sure to pack extra biotic energy bars. There hadn't been much use for a sniper rifle lately but her biotics were definitely getting a work out. Once she was satisfied, she headed to the shuttle and climbed in.

Within minutes, everyone arrived and also got in the shuttle. It took Tristan a moment to realise that everyone was quiet. Perhaps she hadn't imagined the uneasy feeling. Just after leaving the _Normandy_, Shepard got up and went to speak with Lieutenant Cortez. They were discussing the probe that had been launched and Tristan wasn't particularly interested in the conversation…that is, until Cortez mentioned the entire planet was covered in ocean and the probe had confirmed readings deep down. She resisted the urge to groan. Even though she wasn't exactly fond of oceans, they didn't exactly have a plan that factored this in. How were they supposed to find the Leviathans in an ocean?

Just as Shepard and Cortez started to discuss the idea of going under water in the shuttle, something hit the shuttle. They were all thrown a bit but Tristan, James and Kaidan easily remained in their seats. Shepard had to grab onto the shuttle's side for support and Cortez immediately started to compensate. Alarms started to blare and Tristan could tell they were losing altitude…and she was pretty close to losing her lunch. She really hated turbulent flying.

"Brace for impact!" Cortez suddenly shouted from the cockpit.

Tristan closed her eyes in an effort to quell her nausea and held onto the nearest handle. Shepard quickly strapped in beside her. The shuttle landed on something hard and they were all thrown around in their seats. It then continued to slide across its makeshift landing pad before coming to an abrupt stop. Tristan really didn't mind crash landings as she had experienced her fair share. She was just relieved her nausea had subsided. When she opened her eyes, the others were in various stages of relief and Shepard got up first, forcing the door open.

"Well, that was bracing," Tristan remarked.

Alenko looked at her like she had a few screws loose. "You enjoyed that?"

"If you mean 'the part where we're all still alive', then yes," she answered and followed Shepard out of the shuttle.

She didn't make it far as the sight before her made her freeze in her tracks. Ignoring the storm that was raging on overhead and the cold rain, the place was pretty ominous. Someone had built large floating areas that almost resembled a city…a very empty and creepy city built on the ruins of crashed starships. Not a very encouraging sight. James and Kaidan had since exited the shuttle and were also looking around in surprise. Tristan also noted that Cortez had been correct: she could see nothing but ocean wherever she looked.

She didn't mind when missions involved swimming but only because they had the proper gear for that. This particular instance was making her feel very uncomfortable and she shifted her weight around uneasily. It also didn't help that the little city or village or whatever moved with the water. Forget turbulence sickness… she was starting to feel sea sick.

"Now what?" she asked, hoping some sort of plan would get her mind off her discomfit.

Shepard glanced at her and then focused on the shuttle. "How's it looking, Cortez?"

"I'm checking it out now," Cortez answered. "I'll try to get power restored."

"Copy that," Shepard replied. "We'll take a look around."

Tristan really did not want to but she knew she had no choice. As they walked, Shepard, James and Alenko discussed the pulse and guessed it was Leviathan's last line of defence. As they started to point out the various ships that looked like they had been drifting for years, Tristan decided to investigate one of the nearby shipping crates. It had apparently been transformed into a makeshift home with empty crates, broken emergency lanterns and empty medkits. She walked inside and noticed a lump beneath a blanket. Against her better judgement, she reached over and removed it.

"I think I can confirm your theory that we aren't the first people to be stranded here," she commented as she examined the skeletal remains she had found beneath the blanket.

Shepard, Alenko and James came over and stood in the opening.

"What do you make of it?" Shepard asked.

Tristan crouched down beside the body. "Well…there aren't any visible signs of trauma: no broken bones, no gunshot wounds. The lack of blood in here as well as empty food stores probably means this poor chap died of starvation…or maybe thirst. He's also been here for a very long time."

Shepard exhaled sharply. "Lovely."

They continued to look around and Tristan made a point to focus on her breathing and commit everything to memory to distract herself. As they explored, they came across a few datapads left by past survivors all telling a similar story to the _Normandy_ shuttle's own story which, once again, was not very encouraging. Regardless, Tristan guessed no one else came her looking or even knowing about the Leviathan. Perhaps that gave them an advantage. No one else had Cortez or Shepard either and she knew this was definitely an advantage.

It wasn't long before Tristan's hair was sopping wet. She could tell the others were in a similar condition and she made the mental note to start wearing her helmet more often. As they went further in, they started to find a few more of the Leviathan artefacts lying around, in locations close to wear people were living. It explained why no one ever escaped. Leviathan must have brainwashed them into staying to make sure no one found out about this planet. Perhaps it meant they were in the right place but Tristan had no idea if that was a good or a bad thing.

After a few more minutes of aimlessly wandering around, they came across large mechs similar to what Cerberus used, only these ones had been reconfigured to go underwater. Tristan knew for a fact that these things were never meant to go below the water's surface so she guessed the idea came about as a result of desperation. One thing she was sure about was there were not enough credits in the galaxy to get her to use one of them. Shepard approached it cautiously and moved the makeshift tarp that was protecting it from the elements.

"It looks like a damaged Atlas," she commented thoughtfully. "At least it isn't wearing Cerberus colours."

"You really think Cerberus would be all the way out here?" Tristan asked and received a look for her trouble.

They continued on their way. There was still a chance Lieutenant Cortez would be able to fix the shuttle. They had only taken a few steps when Alenko froze and pointed at the sky.

"Look up there," he said.

They did as he said and Tristan's dislike of the ocean planet was suddenly the least of her problems. A Reaper had broken through the thick clouds overhead.

"The Reapers must have been right behind us," James said and then cursed in Spanish.

Tristan consulted her omni-tool before adding "And since we didn't get a warning from _Normandy_, that pulse must be blocking all communications."

"Fantastic," Shepard sighed and then she ordered louder. "Get back to the shuttle and protect it at all costs."

As they ran back towards the shuttle, they all drew their weapons. When something opened fire at them, Tristan slid to a stop and quickly returned fire and killed a few Cannibals to buy the others time to get behind cover. Once they were in position, Alenko and Shepard used their guns to give Tristan an opening and she dove behind the nearest crate. At least the adrenaline rush helped with her sea sickness. When Marauders started to advance, she and Alenko alternated between biotics and bullets, giving the other one to recover before having to attack biotically again.

"_Cortez, what's the situation?"_ Shepard asked over the radio. At least short range was still functioning.

"_I'm swapping the parts now, Commander. Hang on,"_ he replied breathlessly.

When a large group of Cannibals gathered together, it became nearly impossible to fire off a single shot. Tristan grit her teeth as a few shots got too close for comfort when an idea suddenly struck her.

"Alenko, want to try set off a biotic explosion?" she asked over the radio.

He ducked down behind his cover. _"It might be hard without Liara's singularity."_

"It's worth a shot," she replied. "Stasis and Warp should be enough."

They shared a look and Alenko nodded his agreement. They didn't have a whole lot of other options open to them. Shepard and James started to lay out some suppressing fire and Alenko put a Cannibal in the centre into Stasis. Tristan had to lean around her cover to get a clear line of sight and then followed up with a Warp. A biotic explosion did follow but it wasn't as powerful as if a singularity had been present however it did kill those closest to the centre and knocked the others off their feet, giving Shepard and James a chance to kill them.

"_Almost there, Commander,"_ Cortez promised over the radio.

It was then that husks started to charge them and Tristan let loose with a Shockwave. Just like with Barriers, she wasn't that good at using them but this time, it was more powerful and effective than she remembered. The husks that weren't knocked overboard by the force had been killed.

"_Cortez, what's happening over there?"_ Shepard asked.

"_Had a development, Commander. Firing it now."_

Tristan frowned. What the hell did that mean? She looked over to see if James had any ideas but he looked just as confused as everyone else. She was then forced to refocus on the battle at hand as more Cannibals and Husks continued to swarm them.

"_Cortez, I need that bird in the air!"_

"_Nearly there, Commander."_

Tristan risked a glance over her shoulder and noticed the shuttle was showing some signs of life but she quickly had to Throw a Husk before it pounced on her. These things were getting really annoying. Suddenly, the ship shuddered beneath them and a Brute came round a large crate. Tristan reflexively placed a fresh clip in her submachine gun.

"You have got to be kidding me," she murmured.

James fired his shotgun and Tristan followed up with a Warp. Shepard also started to fire and soon, Tristan and Alenko were pounding it with their biotics. Just as it lowered its head to charge at them, it suddenly collapsed to the floor with a pitiful noise and didn't move again.

"_Commander, I'm airborne!"_

"_Give us some cover fire,"_ Shepard ordered.

"_Copy that."_

Cortez manoeuvred the shuttle into position and then opened fire. Cannibals, Marauders and Husks went down easily and quickly. The ground team was finally able to advance and gain some ground.

"_Another pulse hit me. Flight control's scrambled!"_

"_Dammit,"_ Shepard cursed. _"Cortez is in trouble. Get to him."_

Unfortunately, the shuttle went down on the other side of the crash site with a large number of Reaper forces between them. When Cortez mentioned enemy contact, Shepard looked over to Tristan. Tristan didn't hesitate and immediately activated her tactical cloak. She sprinted towards the shuttle, dodging Cannibals and Husks as she went. Once she found the shuttle, she opened fire in a wide sweep in front of her, killing many Cannibals that were advancing on Cortez. Then she terminated her tactical cloak and went to join Cortez behind his cover. She was soon impressed with his skill with an assault rifle.

With the Reaper forces taking fire from both directions, they started to drop quickly. Tristan continued to alternate between her submachine gun and biotics. Judging from a couple of flying Cannibals, Alenko was doing the same. Cortez proved to be pretty solid under fire and took out quite a few targets without hesitation. When the last Cannibal fell, Tristan placed a fresh clip in her submachine gun and started munching on an energy bar. She was starting to use her biotics more than ever before. Shepard, James and Alenko approached carefully to make sure the area was secure for the moment.

"Status?" Shepard enquired.

Tristan bit back a sarcastic reply. It was just too easy. Instead, she divided her attention between listening to Shepard and Cortez's conversation and keeping watch for any more Reaper forces.

"The shuttle's a mess, Commander," Cortez confirmed. "That pulse knocked it right out of the air. We're not going anywhere."

"Couldn't we just call the _Normandy _for an extraction?" Alenko asked.

"And risk the same thing happening?" Tristan challenged.

Cortez intervened before an argument broke out. "Tristan is right. The same thing would happen, only the landing won't be as pretty. I'd say Leviathan has some defence system in place."

"Heads up!" Tristan shouted and headed for cover as a large fireball crashed onto the ship a few paces ahead of them. "Incoming!" Between James and Alenko, the two husks that appeared didn't last long. Tristan peered over her cover in confusion. "Well, that was anti climatic."

Shepard glanced in her direction and then focused on Cortez again. "So, in other words, we're not going anywhere until we find Leviathan. How do we do that?"

Cortez pointed in the direction of one of the mechs. "It looks like it's been rigged for diving."

While Cortez and Shepard discussed using the mechs, Tristan, James and Alenko took it in turns to take out husks that kept appearing. When they heard Shepard agree to the plan, Alenko looked at her like she was nuts.

"Shepard, you can't be serious," he said. "We don't even know if it works or if the Leviathan is here."

"We can't just sit here, Kaidan," Shepard replied.

He then turned to face Tristan. "Can't you talk some sense into her?"

"Sense really isn't my strong suit, Alenko," Tristan replied and then shrugged. "We don't really have any other options. Besides, there's no way I'm getting in that thing."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's reassuring, Tristan. Thank you," she commented sarcastically.

"This is your crazy plan, not mine," Tristan pointed out.

"We'll need to restore power to get that cargo door open," Cortez interjected.

Shepard looked resigned but determined. "How?"

While Cortez explained his plan, Tristan sort of zoned out. She caught something about external power outlets and cells and needing somewhere to plug them in. She hoped Shepard paid attention because she sure didn't. Shepard and Cortez started with their plan and no sooner did Reaper forces start raining down from above. Tristan made the decision to stay by the shuttle to give Cortez cover fire. James and Alenko started moving forward in an effort to keep the Cannibals, Husks and Marauders focused on them and not on Shepard who seemed to be carrying power cells from the shuttle around. Tristan didn't ask any questions but she hoped they knew what they were doing.

It was chaos with a few Brutes thrown in. Previously, they had encountered no more than three at a time. Tuchanka didn't count as they didn't exactly stop to fight the Brutes. Here was another matter entirely. The Marines had nowhere to run so they had to fight the Brutes that seemed to be coming from all directions while making sure they didn't get close to Shepard. Even though they seemed particularly vulnerable to biotics, it didn't make things any easier. Tristan was just relieved that the shuttle had a good supply of spare clips. She figured they were going to be needed.

Tristan was so focused on staying alive that she didn't even notice when Shepard opened the cargo doors and climbed into the mech until she started to use its weapon systems. Suddenly, the Marines were of no concern as every single enemy target focused on the mech. Even a group of four Brutes landed in a single fireball – something that Tristan had never seen before – and focused on killing Shepard. Luckily, the mech's weapons were still functioning and had no problems clearing the battlefield. When silence stretched on for a few moments, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Reapers were defeated for the moment. Shepard brought the mech over for Cortez to examine. James and Alenko used the time to restock their ammo clips and Tristan ate another energy bar to recover her biotics.

Cortez performed his systems check and Alenko tried to talk Shepard out of this plan but they all knew it was the only way they were getting off this planet. Once Cortez was satisfied, Shepard didn't hesitate in walking towards the edge of the ship. She wanted to make some comment – _people always said I would push you over the edge but I didn't think it would be so literal_ – but all things considered, it felt wrong. Instead, Tristan watched in silence and hoped that they had made the right decision. The mech dropped over the side of the ship and sank rapidly. Tristan, Alenko and James watched Cortez as he continued to speak with Shepard but after a few moments, the radio went dead.

"I lost the signal," Cortez said.

Tristan decided not to jump to bad conclusions and decided to be logical. "It could be the water pressure and depth messing with the signal or Leviathan blocking it."

They didn't have long to ponder the situation as fireballs started to rain down onto the ship. Not just one or two but a lot. Tristan ordered Cortez to try to work on the shuttle. There was no doubt in her mind that Shepard would succeed and when she did, they would need a hasty retreat – pulse or no pulse. With Alenko and James standing on either side of her, they opened fire on the Reaper forces to make sure they never got close to the shuttle. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Wave after wave after wave just kept coming and it was hard to keep track of just how long Shepard had been gone.

Tristan wasn't trained for long battles. Her training focused on quick, clean kills and assassinations that took lots of planning but little effort to execute. She had the stamina to run and evade but a constant fight for her life with no end in sight was out of the ordinary. The last time she'd been in a situation like this, it was the Skyllian Blitz but she'd had more soldiers on her side then. Slowly, she became aware of a dull throbbing in the back of her head. It was the first sign that she was overusing her biotics and needed a break or energy bar. Unfortunately, there wasn't time for either option. Once again, she had trained her biotics for short but powerful strikes, not prolonged battles. She forced herself to ignore the throb even as it got more painful.

The mech suddenly appeared on the nearby edge of the ship and the hatch opened. Tristan was relieved for all of once second. Shepard tried to climb out but instead, she fell forward. She tried to walk until she collapsed and was barely conscious. Despite the Marines best efforts, the Reaper forces were suddenly interested in Shepard. Very interested. Tristan grit her teeth as she realised how angry and frustrated she was with the entire situation even as she felt herself flaring. She had intended to strike those closest to Shepard with a Shockwave but what happened, she had never expected.

When she released the biotic energy, it was similar to a Shockwave, only instead of a single line it went off in a semi-circle in front of her with many lines. Each pulse was powerful and as soon as it hit anything, it exploded with the likeness of a Warp and killed it instantly. Tristan knew anger could make biotic attacks more powerful but she had never heard of anything like this. She looked beside her and found Alenko staring at her with a similar look of shock and confusion. It should not have been possible. Killing a Husk with a single attack was easy but Brutes?

"Shepard," she suddenly ordered.

That kicked Alenko into gear as he rushed forward to the Commander. Tristan planned on following him but as she took a step forward, a sudden wave of dizziness struck her and she stumbled forward. Before she could hit the floor, James caught her and steadied her.

"You okay?" he asked and even though she couldn't see his face, she could hear the concern in his voice.

"Fine," she managed weakly but she didn't even believe it. "Cortez?" she asked over the radio.

"_We're good to go. I don't know what the Commander did but the pulse is offline."_

"Alenko!" she shouted. "Shuttle!" Her head hurt too much to shout more but he got the message just fine.

Alenko picked up Shepard – who Tristan hoped was only unconscious and not dead – and carried her towards the shuttle. James half-carried Tristan into the shuttle and Cortez immediately took off. James dropped Tristan into a seat and then started to help Alenko by getting a space blanket from the first aid kit while Alenko checked her vitals. Shepard's face was pale and her nose was bleeding. She was also shivering and her breathing was irregular but she was alive.

"Damn it," Cortez suddenly cursed from the cockpit. "We have a Reaper inbound."

Despite her shaky legs, the pounding in her head and James' disapproving look, Tristan got up and somehow managed to cross the length of the shuttle, nearly losing her balance a few times before collapsing in the co-pilot's chair. "I don't suppose you have a plan?"

The Reaper was coming straight towards them and Tristan had to squint as it revealed its bright red laser of doom – which really didn't help her headache – and she tried to think of some way out. Suddenly, the laser disappeared and the Reaper just…collapsed. She exchanged a look with Cortez and they both came to the same conclusion: the Leviathan had just saved their lives. Shepard must have found them and convinced them to fight against the Reapers. Tristan glanced over her shoulder and her eyes met with Alenko's. His expression said it all.

She turned to face the console and opened a channel. "_Normandy_, do you read?"

_::Finally! We've been trying to get through for ages! What happened?::_ Hearing Joker's voice was such a relief that Tristan nearly laughed. Nearly.

"It's a long story, Joker," she answered tiredly. "I need you to tell Doc to prepare the Med Bay. Shepard is unconscious but stable. We don't know what's wrong."

There was only the briefest pause and when Joker started talking again, there was no hint of amusement like there normally was. _::We're ready for her, Tristan.::_

"Thanks, Joker," Tristan replied and closed the channel. She leant her forehead against the side of the shuttle, hoping it would ease her headache but her eyes closed on their own accord.


	23. Crossroads

**Chapter 23: Crossroads**

Tristan resisted the urge to groan as she slowly opened her eyes. She had to blink a few times to adjust to the typical bright hospital lights. Just as she started wondering what she was doing in a hospital, a dull throb at the back of her head made its presence known. She closed her eyes and used her hands to massage her temples in an effort to alleviate the pain but all that did was create a new pain along the back of her right hand. In annoyance, Tristan slowly opened her right eye and spied a drip. Of course. Everything made perfect sense now.

This was the hangover equivalent for biotics when they taxed out their bodies without sufficient energy or food. As a result, bad headaches would develop and a feeling of exhaustion which could last for days. In some cases, there was even a sensitivity to light and severe dizziness. They sounded like the side effects that those implanted with L-2s suffered from, only L-2s suffered far more. The door slid open and Tristan opened both eyes out of curiosity. Doctor Chakwas walked in, carrying a datapad, presumably with all the current details.

Now, any normal person waking up in a strange hospital room with a strange drip and different clothes – basically, the standard patient outfit of baggy green pants and a white t shirt – would have panicked or tried to figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happened quite often during the life of a biotic, particularly as a teenager, when they're still learning the limits of their abilities or how far they could push themselves before exhaustion took over. Tristan spent far more time in the medical bays on Arcturus Station than she cared to admit as a teen.

"How are you feeling?" Doctor Chakwas asked.

Tristan slowly sat up, careful of the drip. "Mostly fine, aside from a mild headache."

"Any dizziness or nausea?"

"None."

Tristan tried not to sigh impatiently while the doctor checked pretty much everything: her blood pressure, signs of a concussion or head trauma, her heart rate. Then she removed the drip and sat opposite Tristan, giving her a stern look. After a few moments, Tristan couldn't take it anymore.

"What?" she demanded.

"You had the whole crew worried," the good doctor explained and Tristan had no idea what this had to do with the look she had received. "We were expecting just Commander Shepard to be brought in so imagine my surprise when a concerned Lieutenant Vega carried you into my med lab."

"Passing out was not exactly Plan A," Tristan interjected.

"Nevertheless, I want to make sure it wasn't because you disrespected your biotics," Doctor Chakwas finished sternly.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You think I passed out because I was irresponsible and intentionally put my life in danger."

"I'm hoping you'll tell me I'm wrong and have a perfectly good explanation as to how you wound up here with symptoms that match up with that scenario."

Tristan should have seen this coming. A lot of people thought she behaved recklessly, especially when it came to making decisions in the field but she always respected her biotics and would never endanger the lives of the people around her intentionally.

"You're wrong, Doc. Something…weird happened with my biotics," Tristan explained and her tone quickly changed from irritation to confusion. "I don't know why it happened or even how but I managed to kill a large number of Reaper forces. I was fine at first and then I stumbled. Shepard was the priority so I thought I could handle it. Next thing I know, I wake up here."

Doctor Chakwas' expression softened and then she brought up her omni-tool to scan Tristan's amp. "Your amp is functioning normally so we can rule that out. We'll just have to take a 'wait and see' approach."

"How is Shepard?" Tristan suddenly asked.

"Resting," Doc answered and she took a seat. "When Major Alenko brought her on board, it was eerily similar to the first mission on Eden Prime. Whatever happened with the Leviathan had a similar effect as the Prothean Beacon: it left her unconscious with high beta waves. She came round a few hours ago with a major headache and some choice words about being brought to the hospital but Dr Michel is caring for her."

Tristan was relieved to know Shepard was going to be all right. Then a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Where am I?" And then another. "How long was I out?"

"Huerta Memorial Hospital and close to twelve hours. Whatever happened really took its toll on you."

Tristan rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, no kidding."

"Dr Michel is keeping Shepard here for a little while longer for observation. We don't know how the Leviathan will affect the Prothean Cipher. In the meantime, you're free to go," Doctor Chakwas said. "Admiral Hackett is looking for an update and I'm sure the crew will be happy to see you."

Tristan smiled. "Thanks, Doc."

Doctor Chakwas got to her feet and handed Tristan a bag before exiting through the door. Tristan opened her bag and found a clean set of clothes from the _Normandy_. It was good to know she didn't have to walk around the Citadel in hospital clothes. That was the only other thing she could think of that was more embarrassing than passing out in front of her crew and having to be carried to the _Normandy_. With some effort, Tristan changed into her casual clothes and made her way out of her room. Despite having a twelve hour involuntary nap, Tristan felt like she hadn't slept in weeks and her whole body felt sore, like she'd just run a marathon or something.

It was relatively easy to find Shepard's room but walking in had somehow become the more difficult thing. When Tristan arrived, she suddenly felt like she was intruding on a tender moment. To no one's surprise, Alenko was sitting beside Shepard's bed and they were tenderly holding hands, having a whispered conversation. They both looked so relaxed and happy that Tristan turned to leave. Before she could, Shepard saw her and called her over. Tristan sighed and walked into the room, noticing immediately that they had let go of each other's hands like the fact that they cared for each other was some secret.

"How are you feeling?" Shepard asked.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, I think I should be asking you that."

"You were unconscious for twelve hours," Shepard argued, getting mildly annoyed at being the focus of concern.

"And you're the one who is still in bed hooked up to machines," Tristan countered. Shepard looked like she wanted to argue further but couldn't think of a response and Tristan smiled tiredly. "We'll both say 'fine' anyway, we won't believe each other and then we'll change the topic."

Shepard frowned and then looked over to Alenko. "We're not that predictable, are we?"

"You sort of…are," Alenko confirmed, looking almost sheepish about admitting it out loud.

Shepard shrugged dismissively as if it no longer mattered. "So what are you changing the topic to?"

"Since you're still under house arrest, I'm heading back to the _Normandy_ to update Admiral Hackett," she answered. "Anything you want me to pass along?"

"The Leviathans have agreed to fight against the Reapers but they need those artefacts to do so," Shepard answered but Tristan could tell she was holding something back. Lucky for Shepard, Tristan was too tired to argue.

"I'll let him know and then I'm passing out on my bed for a while," Tristan replied. "I'll leave Joker and Garrus in charge. Any orders for the crew?"

"Shore leave until further notice," Shepard decided.

Tristan said good bye and started to make her towards the Huerta Memorial Hospital elevator when Alenko called out to her. In surprise, she stopped and turned. Maybe Shepard forgot to tell her something? His expression said otherwise, like he felt conflicted about a choice he'd made.

"I think we need to talk about what happened," he said and when Tristan didn't respond, he added "…with your biotics."

"I got that, Alenko," she replied quietly. "I don't know what there is to talk about. It's never happened before and I don't even know how it happened this time. I've never heard of a Biotic – much less a human Biotic – doing something like that."

"Me neither," Alenko admitted. "I didn't tell Shepard everything - just that you passed out because of your biotics. I wasn't sure how to explain it."

She smiled. "I appreciate it. I just need time to figure it out."

"You're not going to try it again, are you?" he asked with a frown.

She would have laughed if it didn't feel like so much effort. "Definitely not."

That answer seemed to have been enough because he turned around and headed back to Shepard's room. Tristan hovered in place as she started to wonder how it must have felt to wake up in the hospital with the person you cared about most sitting beside your bed, happy to see you. It wasn't something she'd ever experienced before and had only seen in mushy romance vids but it seemed to work well for Shepard and Alenko. Maybe she should have paid more attention to the dialogue in those vids instead of imagining how the characters would react if they were suddenly invaded by an army of zombies. Maybe, just maybe, she would know what to say to James. It wasn't until an Asari delicately cleared her throat that Tristan realised she was holding up the elevator and she quickly got in.

By the time Tristan reached the _Normandy_'s airlock, she was so tired she was tempted to curl up and go to sleep on the next thing that even resembled a bed but unfortunately, she had a few things to take care of. She made her way over to the cockpit where she wasn't surprised to find Joker.

He looked up and leaned back in mock surprise. "Sorry, Tristan. I barely recognised you."

"Do I look that bad?"

"You're vertical," he said, doing quite a good impression of sounding shocked.

"Ha ha," she remarked dryly. "How much of the crew are on board?"

Joker looked almost disappointed by the lack of a response. "Pretty much everyone minus Kaidan and the Commander."

"Can you open a ship wide channel for me, please?" she asked.

"You actually said 'please'. You must be tired," Joker replied but opened the channel before Tristan could come up with a retort.

"Sorry to interrupt your regular scheduled programming but I have an update," Tristan said, forcing herself to sound enthusiastic. "Commander Shepard is well but the doctors have insisted on keeping her for observation, just to make sure all is well. In the meantime, you all have shore leave until further notice. Joker and Garrus will also be handling any important matters until Shepard returns. Have a happy shore leave." She closed the channel and leaned against the side of the _Normandy_.

Joker looked at her sideways. "All joking aside, are you going to be all right?"

"I'll be fine, Joker. Just need to sleep," Tristan reassured him. She must have looked really bad if Joker was worried about her.

_::Admiral Hackett is ready for you in the Comms Room, Agent Chase.::_

"Thanks, EDI," she replied and pushed herself off the wall.

Admiral Hackett was waiting by the time she arrived. _"Was your mission a success?"_

"Yes," she answered simply. "Shepard managed to convince the Leviathans to fight the Reapers but she said they need their glowing artefacts to do so. She didn't go into much detail so I assume she'll properly brief you when she's out of the hospital."

Hackett nodded slowly. _"I read Major Alenko's report. The Leviathans took out a Reaper?"_

"When we were leaving the planet," she explained. "I didn't see anything happen. Just one moment there was a Reaper coming for the shuttle and the next moment…there wasn't." Then she noticed Hackett's expression and she resisted the urge to grunt in annoyance. They were an odd pair, even though they cared for each other they refused to say it outright so she knew Hackett wasn't really concerned about the Reaper. "I'm fine, Steven. Really. It was a tense situation, things happened. It won't happen again."

"_I believe you, Tristan. I just wanted to make sure you're doing all right. You were never trained for an operation like this,"_ he replied.

She had been trained as a spy and not a soldier which meant she was never prepared to fight in sustained battles or even prepared for war.

"I don't believe anyone could be trained for a mission like this," she murmured.

He smiled sympathetically. _"Take care of yourself, Tristan."_

"You too, Steven."

The call was terminated and Tristan was relieved it had been so short even though it was good to see Admiral Hackett again. She made her way back to the elevator and leaned against the wall, her forehead pressing against the cool metal surface. The one thing they didn't have much of was the one thing she needed: time. Time to figure out what was happening with Black Ops, time to figure out what had happened with her biotics…even time to figure out what she wanted to say to James. For some reason, the elevator felt like it was taking forever to reach the Cargo Hold until Tristan realised she hadn't pushed the button.

She sighed in slight annoyance at herself as she finally pushed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive. It was impressive how much quicker things went when she remembered to do it. Once the elevator arrived, she exited it and started walking towards her quarters. She didn't get very far when she noticed Lieutenant Cortez and James talking next to the shuttle. It wasn't that surprising since they had quite the bromance going on but it didn't look like their usual easy banter. It actually looked like a serious conversation. She hesitated, trying to decide whether to check on them or not, but then decided it was better if she got some rest instead. If it was serious enough, they would find her.

Tristan took a quick shower and changed into her pyjamas before walking over to her bed and collapsing face first into her pillows. EDI already had orders not to disturb Tristan unless absolutely necessary. Tristan closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately which was quite unusual for her. The next few hours passed in a mixture of sleeping, getting up to drink some water or use the bathroom and because she was in that zombie state where she was only sort of awake, she really had no clue how much time passed or what was happening on the ship.

Eventually, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Her body still felt exhausted and even a bit stiff but she was pretty full up on sleep at the moment. When she was a teenager testing the limits of her biotics on Arcturus Station – under supervision, of course – she had pushed herself a little too hard and woke up in the hospital a few hours later. There had been a nosebleed and a minor bump on the back of her head where she fell but nothing compared to how she currently felt. The trainer at the time, a stern man with little patience for Tristan's antics, had said she was a natural when it came to biotics – easily picking up new tricks and her biotics were a lot stronger than other biotics her age – but she somehow doubted this was what he meant.

For the first time in years, Tristan started wondering about her parents. Dylan never spoke of them and her own memories were fuzzy. She couldn't even picture her own mother's face. It was a harsh realisation but they had meant nothing to her; they still meant nothing. Dylan and Shepard were all the family she needed. These thoughts weren't about wanting a relationship with them or searching for a connection somewhere. It was far more practical. Her mother couldn't have been a biotic – it just wasn't possible – but could she have had the potential to be a biotic? And if that were true, Tristan had no idea how that would have affected her own biotics.

Tristan sighed quietly. She had been so young when Dylan said they needed to run away for her own safety. She knew he had been right and hadn't questioned him. Their father was a cruel man who ran his household with an iron fist, especially when keeping Tristan in line. It probably explained why she didn't like being told what to do. Their mother had been a drug addict and was largely in the background: completely uninvolved in her children's lives yet somehow, she escaped their father's anger. Living on the streets had sounded like an adventure, a way to escape and be free when she was a child. Now Tristan couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it. They had friends who would have taken them in but Dylan refused to ask for help.

Tristan slowly sat up in bed and rubbed the back of her aching neck. Did her biotic potential have anything to do with her childhood? Or was it all a massive coincidence? Her trainer had once commented that she could be capable of great things if only she had the right amount of focus. Seeing Shepard in trouble and surrounded by Reaper forces was pretty focusing. As much as she needed answers, she had nowhere to look for them. Dylan was dead. As kids, they had always been just Dylan and Tristan. She never wondered why Nadine had two names and she didn't. When Dylan decided to enlist with the Alliance, he chose 'Chase' as their last name since he was always chasing after her. There was nowhere to look for information.

All this deep thinking was soon interrupted when her stomach growled…loudly. Step number two of recovery: eat. A lot. Tristan climbed out of bed and took a quick shower before changing into her casual clothes. She left her hair loose, only because it was too much effort to do anything else with it and headed to the Mess Hall. Only when the elevator opened on the correct floor did she realise the _Normandy_ was actually moving. Shepard must have been cleared from the hospital and had already received a new mission. The others were already seated at the table, having a good conversation. Once she got her large plate of food, she wandered over and sat in an empty seat between Garrus and Joker, opposite Shepard. There wasn't even a lull in the conversation even as they all acknowledged her arrival.

"How are you feeling?" Shepard asked when the current conversation ran its course.

Tristan was trying to decide where to start with her food. "Remember your first morning after basic training when you thought you were going to die from all the places it hurt?"

Shepard grimaced in sympathy, as the others chuckled. "That bad, huh?"

"So, where we going?" she asked as she scooped up some food.

"Lessus. Some Asari Commandoes were sent to investigate an Ardat-Yakshi Monastery but they've gone dark," Shepard answered.

Tristan paused with her fork hovering just above her plate and blinked a few times, trying to figure out if this was some word that they had invented to mess with her mind. She didn't even notice her food slide off her fork and back onto the plate. "A what now?" she asked, when no one volunteered information.

"An Ardat-Yakshi Monastery," Liara repeated helpfully.

Tristan glanced at her. "You know repeating the words don't make the meaning any clearer, right?"

Shepard finished chuckling into her coffee and then cleared her throat, like that would hide her amusement. "They're a group of Asari with a…genetic defect."

"Must be some defect if they get a monastery," Tristan commented and then returned her attention to her empty fork, trying to figure out what happened to her food.

"You have no idea," Shepard murmured as she continued to drink her coffee.

Tristan sensed there was a story there but decided to focus on her food before it escaped again. Conversation easily picked up again with James, Shepard, Garrus, Alenko and Javik swapping stories about their previous commanding officers. Tristan was too distracted to actually pay attention.

"Tristan?" James suddenly asked.

Her head snapped up. "It wasn't me," she said automatically. When she noticed their expressions, she half shrugged. "Sorry, it's my default response. What was the question?"

"What's on your mind?" Shepard asked. "You're rarely this quiet."

Tristan absently tapped her fork on her now empty plate. "Did Dylan ever say anything to you about our parents?"

Shepard obviously hadn't expected that question. "Uh…not really. He just gave me the basics. Why? You want to look for them?"

Tristan snorted like it was the most ridiculous idea she'd ever heard. "No."

The others were obviously surprised by how blasé she was about her parents, especially given the whole Reaper invasion thing. A lot of people were scrambling to find loved ones, anyone to hold onto through this possible end of the galaxy scenario while she was doing the opposite.

"You're not even the slightest bit curious about them?" Liara asked, the slightest hint of disapproval in her tone.

Only because of the question did Tristan realise how cold she must have sounded, especially to those who had already lost people they loved or had them go missing. She sighed in the way that said she really didn't see why she had to explain herself but she would anyway.

"I didn't have what you would call a typical upbringing," she began. "My memories are really fuzzy but what I do remember isn't pretty. My mother didn't care about anything unless it was getting her next fix while my father was more interested in ruling us than raising us. Everything was scheduled down to the second and if we disobeyed or took too long doing something…well, the consequences were severe. So when Dylan told me to pack my stuff, I didn't question it."

"But why question it now?" Shepard asked, already aware of these details.

Tristan thought about it for a moment, wondering if she should tell them about her biotic display. "I…don't know. I'm just wondering if there was more to it than just escaping our father." She leaned back in her chair. "It's all a moot point now anyway."

"How so?" Shepard asked.

"You were my last shot at information," Tristan answered.

"EDI could run a search for you," Garrus suggested.

"I don't see how she would find any information. 'Chase' isn't my real last name and I don't remember what is. I can't even remember where we lived." She thought about it for a moment. "I think Dylan even changed my birthday."

"That sounds like something pretty important to be aware of," Alenko pointed out.

"My father wasn't exactly one to throw parties and living on the streets…well, there are more important things to worry about than presents," Tristan replied.

"Especially when you insisted on terrorising the neighbouring street gangs," Shepard commented.

Tristan smiled. "I had to keep you on your toes. I was just curious but we can move on now. Tell me more about these archaic monkeys."

There was a range of sounds as everyone burst out laughing – one or two choking on their drinks – which took some time to subside. Once Shepard recovered, she explained what an Ardat-Yakshi actually was and went on to recount her adventure with Samara and Morinth on Omega back when she was trying to stop the Collectors. The story ended abruptly when Joker informed them that they were getting close to their destination so Shepard ordered Liara, Alenko and Javik to get suited up. James also excused himself which was odd and pretty quickly, Tristan was left alone with Garrus. Part of her was still wondering about her biotics while the other part was reminded about her arrangement with Garrus.

As if reading her mind, he asked "Any progress?"

She sighed in frustration. "Not yet. Answers are surprisingly hard to come by these days."

"I know what you mean," he replied quietly. "Things were much easier before the Reaper invasion, even if we didn't realise it at the time."

Tristan was quiet for a moment. "The trick is to not give up. I might have one or two possibilities I haven't explored yet."

Without another word, she brought up her omni-tool and started to work. Once the ground squad had been dropped off, Tristan made her way towards the Communications Room inside the War Room. She made sure no one was eavesdropping and then with EDI's help, created a secure channel that couldn't be traced. She double checked everything to make sure that Black Ops would never discover this call and that for all intents and purposes, it never happened. Then she patched in Major Kirrahe and after exchanging pleasantries, the Salarian frowned.

"_This is a surprise, Agent Chase,"_ he remarked.

Tristan folded her arms in front of her chest. "I know and with everything else going on, this probably isn't the best time to ask for a personal favour but I need someone I can trust and who understands what it is we do."

Major Kirrahe considered her words for a moment. _"What are you asking?"_

"I need to get in touch with senior agents from Black Ops but I can't do it myself. I'm probably being monitored or tracked but you…you aren't on their radar."

"_I'm not sure I understand,"_ Kirrahe replied with a frown.

She hesitated for a moment before explaining. "I have reason to believe my boss has been indoctrinated. Black Ops has been tasked with surveying our allies but not our enemies. I need senior agents to be aware of this and to be in contact with each other but if he finds out I'm involved…well, I would rather not go there."

"_To what end?"_ Kirrahe asked.

"Best case scenario? Stop him before he starts a war with our allies." She took a deep breath. "Worst case? To stage a coup." After seeing what happened on the Citadel, this idea was not her favourite but there weren't any alternatives. "I just need them to watch and wait until I know for sure."

"_Then I will take care of it, Agent Chase,"_ he promised.

Tristan smiled gratefully. "I owe you one, Major."

They terminated the call and after a moment.

"_The call has been erased from our records, Agent Chase."_

"Thanks, EDI."

"_Are you certain I should not inform Commander Shepard of this?"_

Tristan started for the door. "I'm sure, EDI. I can handle it."

She slowly made her way back towards her quarters, trying to think of other options where she could find answers or information for pretty much anything at this point. Time was running out. As the elevator opened into the Cargo Hold, Tristan took a few steps out before finding herself standing face to face with James. Yet another thing she needed answers for. He looked like he wanted to ask his own question but didn't quite know how and he still looked quite serious, just as he had when she'd first returned from the hospital. Then she suddenly realised something: James was standing right in front of her. This answer wasn't quite as impossible as the others to get. All she had to do was ask.

"Were you serious before?" she blurted out.

James frowned, his question forgotten. "What?"

"Were you serious before?" she repeated and then she remembered what she'd said to Liara not that long ago. "With the flirting, I mean. And the being there for me…and all that other stuff. Because if you weren't, well that's alright. I'm just really bad at reading into this sort of stuff." Somewhere, she registered that she was speaking really fast and that she was babbling. "Well, not bad exactly. It's just that last time I misread some things and it ended really badly…not that I'm saying what happened then will happen now or that you and him are the same. You're two completely different people, of course. And Shepard implied that you are serious but I really don't know…" And then she noticed James' confusion had turned into amusement. "…and I'm babbling so I will stop now." She was quiet for a moment before deciding she probably shouldn't have said anything. "I should probably go do…something…over…uh…there." She cleared her throat awkwardly and then started walking in a random direction with no clue where she was going.

Her tactical retreat – or escape – was cut short when James gently grabbed her elbow and did the last thing she expected: he kissed her. Her mind went blank and she stopped worrying about everything. Instead, she was just enjoying the moment that ended all too soon in her opinion.

"Does that answer your question?" James asked with that cheeky grin of his she was so fond of.

She returned it with a sheepish smile of her own. "Loud and clear."

"Since when do you babble?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"It's been known to happen once or twice," she admitted and then she realised something. "Did you want to ask me something before I…got started?"

"You beat me to the punch," James replied. "I was going to ask you to dinner the next time we're on the Citadel."

Tristan let that compute for a moment and then noticed Lieutenant Cortez behind James working on the shuttle with a very big grin. "That's what you looking all serious was about?"

"I needed Estaban's advice." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So…will you?"

She smiled. "Of course."

Their conversation was interrupted by Joker. _"Tristan, Shepard needs you."_

"For what?" Tristan asked in confusion.

"_Tactical advice, strangely enough,"_ Joker answered. _"EDI is patching you in through the requisitions station."_

Tristan walked over, aware that James was joining her, and the screen that had shown Admiral Hackett when they first left Earth lit up. She activated her omni-tool and a couple of different screens popped up showing various angles, presumably from the different squad members and maybe a camera from the actual monastery. What was on the screen was…terrifying. A single figure took up most of the space and reminded Tristan of a tree…a very creepy tree. It was very tall and the body seems disproportionate in certain areas. Its skin was a pale grey and on its head, it had long pointy spines which looked identical to its claw-like fingers. It took Tristan a few moments to realise that this thing had once been an Asari.

The ground squad could also be seen shooting the thing and it returning fire. Tristan used her omni-tool and EDI to connect to the radios of the ground squad, just in time to hear the thing scream like a Banshee. Since she had been doing this sort of analysis since day one, it came quickly to her and she alternated between typing on her omni-tool and highlighting certain things on the screens. Lieutenant Cortez had also since joined them since he had nothing better to do than wait until the mission was over and he and James were exchanging thoughts on the current situation.

"Shepard, do you read me?" she asked.

"_Loud and clear, Tristan,"_ Shepard replied. _"Any advice?"_

"This…thing used to be an Asari, yeah?" she guessed.

"_We believe so and the evidence seems to support us,"_ Shepard replied.

"Then I can't accurately tell you how the Reaper process affected the biotics but, if the past is any indication, it isn't pretty," Tristan explained. "However, it looks like she…it…whatever has pretty strong barriers. Biotic attacks – probably Javik's – will fare better than gunfire."

"_Javik, we'll get her attention and you throw whatever you can at her," _Shepard ordered breathlessly.

"_Aye, aye, Commander,_" came Javik's calm reply.

The battlefield shifted as the Banshee focused her attention on Shepard and Liara. Javik attacked with his biotics and weakened the barrier but the Banshee then sent an attack at Alenko. Based on Tristan's readings, it was similar to a Warp but it behaved differently, almost like it was actively looking for its target.

"Avoid its attack at all costs," Tristan instructed. "It looks like this thing's version of a Warp."

"_That's easier said than done,"_ Liara replied.

"It moves similarly. No matter how powerful, biotics cannot pass through solid objects," Tristan reminded patiently.

The squad was constantly moving and pretty soon they were spread out through the room. That's when the Banshee did something that shouldn't have been possible: it teleported.

"Did you see that?" James asked.

Tristan could only stare at the screen. "That shouldn't be possible."

"_Pretending it didn't happen doesn't exactly help us, Tristan,"_ Shepard cut in.

"My apologies for expressing my disbelief, Commander," she muttered sarcastically and replayed the footage. "Vanguards," she suddenly realised.

"_What?"_ Shepard demanded.

"The thing isn't teleporting," she explained.

"You're sure about that?" James asked sceptically.

Tristan ignored him. "Alenko, are you familiar with the biotic vanguard training?"

"_Yes,"_ he answered but sounded confused. And then he realised why it was important. _"Are you saying she's doing the equivalent of the biotic charge?"_

"It looks similar but faster and larger distances," Tristan said. "But the principles seem the same. Clear line of sight, straight lines and the barrier and biotic power fluctuates just after."

"_Meaning?"_ Shepard interjected curtly.

"_She's weakest after charging,"_ Alenko answered patiently.

Tristan, James and Cortez continued to watch as the squad managed to weaken the Banshee, eventually killing it. EDI's readings detected a surge of some kind so Tristan warned them to keep their distance just as the corpse exploded biotically. While the squad took a few minutes to catch their breath before moving on, Shepard decided to satisfy her curiosity.

"_What's a biotic vanguard?"_ she asked.

"A bunch of crazy ass biotics," Tristan answered. "It's a specialisation some biotics choose to train in. The Alliance introduced it just after Saren attacked the Citadel with Sovereign. They used their biotics to jump large distances – usually right into the faces of the enemy – and use close combat to take down their targets."

"_Isn't that right up your alley?"_ Shepard asked innocently.

"I may take risks and enjoy life threatening situations more than the average person but I also like my personal space," Tristan answered. "Besides, I lack focus and discipline, remember?"

They all heard Shepard snort in amusement over the radio. _"How could I forget? Thanks, Tristan. You were actually helpful."_

"It does happen occasionally," Tristan retorted and then closed the radio channel, the multiple screens she had open and then deactivated her omni-tool. "I should probably send this data to Alliance Command."

She and James shared a smile which Cortez pretended not to notice and then she continued on her way to her quarters. She uploaded the video footage to her computer terminal and then typed out her observations and tactics in a report before sending it to Admiral Hackett, Admiral Anderson (with some help from EDI), Primarch Victus, Wrex and any other important military leaders she could think of. In between receiving replies and questions, her mind kept replaying the kiss over and over again which never failed to make her smile. She didn't even care that she was probably acting like a teenager.

The ground squad returned a short while later after a successful mission. The monastery had been destroyed but so had all the Banshees that were there. The Alliance had decided to make the nickname official so now the list of Reaper forces included Husks, Cannibals, Marauders, Ravagers and now Banshees. Samara, Shepard's Justicar friend, also survived the mission – as did her one daughter – and had promised to help fight the Reapers. Tristan waited a respectable amount of time and then made her way to Liara's quarters. Glyph greeted her enthusiastically and Liara looked up in surprise.

"Your insight proved helpful, Tristan," Liara observed.

"Thanks," she replied. "But I'm not here for a post mission discussion."

Liara frowned. "Then why are you here?"

"Do you have an operative inside Black Ops?" Tristan asked bluntly.

Liara's expression immediately became guarded and her lack of an answer was all she needed.

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then," Tristan decided. "I'm not here to demand to know who it is or what you've learnt but I do need to know if you have someone close to the director."

Liara's expression did not soften. "Why?"

"Because I need someone to keep an eye on him that can't be traced back to me," Tristan answered. Liara somehow managed to look guarded and frown at the same time. Tristan sighed in defeat. She'd already told Garrus and Kirrahe. Why not one more person? "I believe the director is indoctrinated but I need proof before I can do anything. I also need to know what he is up to so he doesn't sabotage the fight against the Reapers or anything like that."

"Oh," Liara was now worried and surprised. "I think I can set something up."

"I am putting a lot of trust in you, Liara. Shepard doesn't know and I would like to keep it that way for as long as possible," Tristan explained.

The Asari nodded slowly in understanding. "Any information I get I'll forward to you."

"Thank you. I appreciate it," Tristan said and then left.

She decided it would be best to let Garrus know that she was taking this seriously and headed for his quarters. He looked up in surprise when she arrived but after she gave him a meaningful look, he understood right away.

"It's safe to talk," he promised.

Tristan exhaled in relief. "Good. I know you have placed a lot of trust in me so I wanted you to know that I am taking precautions. Major Kirrahe is passing along a message to senior agents on my behalf, warning them of what might be happening. And Liara has agreed to put someone in a position to keep an eye on the director for me."

Garrus' shoulders relaxed slightly. "Thank you, Tristan. I don't like keeping this a secret but I understand why it is important."

"I know it isn't easy either," she agreed. "But until we know for sure what is happening, I don't want to do something I can't undo."

"Agreed."

Now all she could do was wait and hope she was proven wrong. An asshole for a boss she could tolerate but an indoctrinated asshole was another matter entirely. At least she had a date to look forward to – that was progress.


	24. Familiarity

**Hi folks. Been a while since I updated this story so it might take me a bit to get back into the swing of things again. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this chapter.**

**In regards to the issues raised by the guest review:**

**1. I did change it from Tristan's mother having biotics to her having the potential. For some odd reason, I thought I had initially gone on about potential so I don't know what I was thinking when I posted about her mother having biotics. Thanks for pointing that out.**

**2. Regarding Shepard not knowing about Vanguard training: I respectfully disagree. The Vanguard class was only introduced in **_**Mass Effect 2**_** so it can be argued that Shepard was dead at the time when it was introduced by the Alliance and since she isn't a biotic in this story, she would have no reason to go looking for new Alliance training and thus, that is why she didn't know about it.**

**Thank you for your patience while I took a break from this story and thank you for all of the reviews, favourites and alerts. There was a review requesting more James/Tristan stuff. I have all sorts of stuff planned for them when we finish up with the quarian/geth drama.**

**Chapter 24: Familiarity**

Tristan resisted the urge to yawn due to boredom. She had somehow been convinced to join another game of poker aboard the _Normandy_ with James, Alenko and Joker. She strongly suspected that the only reason why she agreed to tag along was because she had nothing better to do at the moment and this would waste some time. James had even insisted on breaking out real cards instead of the holographic things the casinos preferred. Maybe he thought EDI would try to help Joker win? Whatever his reasoning, it was taking all of Tristan's willpower to not tap her cards impatiently.

Within moments of dealing, they all knew immediately that Joker had a really bad hand. The only thing worse than Joker's poker face was… no, Tristan couldn't even think of anything that was worse. They had also all given up on trying to read her because all they got was boredom so, at the moment, there was a showdown between James and Alenko as they tried to read each other's poker faces. Even the fact that she knew she had the winning hand didn't make the game any more fun. She glanced over at Joker and she decided it was time to make her own fun.

Tristan managed to get Joker's attention without warning the others and then gestured to her cards then at his cards. Joker frowned in confusion and then understood a moment later. They swapped cards under the table and when Joker saw her hand, he grinned immediately. Tristan shook her head in warning and Joker soon looked like someone had just kicked his puppy. Maybe there was hope for him yet. Tristan then investigated her new cards. It really was a terrible hand. A few minutes later, they decided to check the cards. Losing had definitely been worth it just to see the shocked and confused expressions on James and Alenko's faces, especially when they tried to figure out how they had misread Joker's expression.

_::Tristan?::_

"Yeah, EDI?" she responded, still too amused to realise EDI had called her by her first name for the first time.

_::Commander Shepard has requested your presence by the Galaxy Map.::_

Tristan passed her cards back to James as he prepared to deal the next round. "I'm on my way."

As she left, she winked at Joker and he smirked in response. She hoped she never forgot their expressions because they had been truly priceless. It was even better that they didn't even suspect cheating although Joker wasn't that great at keeping secrets so it was probably only a matter of time until they found out. When she reached the Galaxy Map, Tristan found Shepard working on her computer terminal and having a friendly conversation with Specialist Traynor. Shepard looked up at her approach and was immediately suspicious when she recognised Tristan's amusement.

"You seem to be in a good mood," Shepard observed. "I thought you find poker boring?"

"Oh, I do," Tristan answered.

Shepard frowned. "Should I be worried?"

Tristan was usually this amused after a good prank and Shepard knew it. "Nope," Tristan replied. "I shook things up a bit."

"How so?"

"I swapped my winning hand for Joker's losing hand while James and Alenko were distracted," Tristan explained. "The looks on their faces when Joker won? Priceless."

Shepard snorted in amusement and shook her head ruefully. "Sometimes I worry about you."

"I'm assuming you didn't summon me here to discuss my questionable poker techniques," Tristan said.

"You're right," Shepard agreed and turned strictly business. "The Quarians have finally made contact."

Tristan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "They sure took their sweet time joining the war." She paused as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "I wonder what a Reaperified Quarian looks like," she mused out loud. "Especially since I have no idea what a Quarian looks like without their masks."

Shepard gave her a look. "That's your first question?"

She shrugged in response. "We've seen what Reapers do to Humans, Turians and asari. The Protheans too, if you want to get technical. The Cannibals and Brutes are mysteries though I wouldn't be surprised if there was some Krogan in the big guys. Can you blame me for being curious?"

Shepard had no idea how to respond to that at first. "Sometimes I have to wonder how that mind of yours works and worry if you might become a serial killer or a mad scientist."

"Why not both?" Tristan asked innocently.

Shepard regarded her silently for a few moments. "I seriously can't tell if you're kidding so we're moving swiftly forward."

Tristan smirked. "So what happens now?"

"We're on our way to meet with the Quarians," Shepard answered. "And I want you around as XO."

"What a surprise," Tristan remarked drily. "How did you ever get anything done without me?"

Shepard also smirked. "Usually with fewer near death experiences."

Joker returned to his duties shortly thereafter and they were on their way to meet with the quarians. Tristan was in the war room with Shepard. Shepard was standing beside the circular terminal in the centre of the room while Tristan stood a few paces behind her and casually leant against one of the nearby stations. A small group of quarians boarded. The first one who entered the room – Admiral Raan - immediately addressed Shepard and Tristan found herself wondering yet again just how many people Shepard knew.

"I'd hoped for quarian support against the Reapers," Shepard said, once the pleasantries were done. "What's happening?"

Another quarian – Admiral Gerrel – stepped forward to answer the question. "Seventeen days ago, with precision strikes on four geth systems, the quarians initiated a war to retake our homeworld."

Tristan couldn't help the look of disbelief she gave them. "The entire galaxy is under attack by Reapers and you start another war?" Shepard gave her a look of warning.

"It was a clear violation of our agreement with the Council to avoid provoking the Geth!" a third quarian – Admiral Koris – interjected.

A fourth quarian – Admiral Xen – started to pace in agitation. "A treaty violation is nothing compared to reclaiming our homeworld and advanced AI technology."

"Reassuring to know you're willing to sacrifice your people for advanced technology," Tristan muttered quietly and Shepard responded with a second warning look. If she kept this up, she would be kicked out.

"Let me get this straight: you're throwing yourselves at the geth yet again, despite previous experiences, to reclaim your lost homeworld, Rannoch, in the midst of the Reaper invasion?" Shepard asked.

"And this time, we may have destroyed our people for good," Admiral Koris added. Tristan was starting to think this fellow was the most realistic in the bunch.

Admiral Gerrel approached the terminal and used his omni-tool to bring up some information. "We'd driven back the geth to the home system when this signal began broadcasting to all geth ships."

"The Reapers," Shepard realised.

Admiral Gerrel continued his explanation. "Under Reaper control, the geth are significantly more effective. Our fleet is pinned in the home system. If we're going to win—"

"That's a big 'if' by the looks of it," Tristan commented.

"Win?" Admiral Koris repeated angrily. "You insisted on involving the civilian ships, Admiral Gerrel. We need to retreat or we'll lose the liveships!"

Tristan had no idea what that meant but it sounded pretty important.

"Where's the signal coming from?" Shepard asked while she examined the holographic images in front of her.

"Here," Admiral Gerrel answered and the images shifted. "A geth dreadnaught. It can outgun anything we've got and it's heavily defended."

Tristan took a step forward. "It does make sense. If this Reaper signal has given them the upper hand in this battle, they'll do all they can to protect it. A head on attack won't work. They'll be prepared for it. And is it just me or does it kind of look like a giant bug?"

Shepard sighed. "Try to stay on target, Tristan." Then she addressed the quarians. "The _Normandy_'s stealth drives can get us in close without the geth noticing. I could board and disable the Reaper signal."

"And you say I have a death wish?" Tristan asked rhetorically.

"Yes, cutting off the signal should throw the geth into complete disarray," Admiral Xen agreed but there was something about her that Tristan just didn't like.

"And while the geth are confused, it will give you an opening to get to a relay and retreat," Shepard said but somehow, it came across as an order.

Admiral Koris seemed relieved. "Good. The civilian ships have seen too much combat already. Are you sure you can disable the signal?"

"I'll do everything within my power to get your people to safety," Shepard promised.

"Our newest admiral has also volunteered to offer technical expertise," Admiral Raan announced.

At that moment, the doors to the war room opened and another quarian entered. Besides being female, Tristan didn't know anything else about her. Shepard, however, looked to be pleasantly surprised. Yet another person Shepard just conveniently knew. Luckily, Tristan didn't have long to wait for a name.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, reporting for duty."

That was definitely confusing. Tristan had no idea how quarian names worked but she was pretty sure it was no coincidence that she had _Normandy_ in her name but the context eluded Tristan… though, now that she thought about it, the first name was familiar. Perhaps this was the quarian that helped Shepard take down Saren and the Collectors. It did make sense.

"I'm glad to see you could make it, Tali," Shepard greeted and then she addressed the room. "Admirals, I'll assemble a team to hit the dreadnaught."

"Thank you, Commander," Admiral Raan responded.

Tristan followed Shepard and Tali out of the war room and they stopped in the corridor.

"Tristan, I want you to suit up. Grab Kaidan and James while you're at it," Shepard instructed.

"A five man squad?" Tristan asked.

"We're about to go on a geth dreadnaught," Shepard pointed out. "It's probably going to be geth central and you know how it goes: once one geth knows you're there, they all know you're there."

"At least geth are familiar," Tristan decided. "No rude surprises like the Reapers."

"The Reapers have been called many things but I do think you're the first person to call them rude," Shepard commented.

Tristan smiled at that and headed off to find Kaidan and James so Shepard could have a few minutes to catch up with Tali. She quickly found them exactly where she left them: playing another game of poker. She leaned around the door to talk to them.

"Grab your gear, boys. We have a mission," she told them.

"Yeah?" James asked, looking up from his cards. "Where are we going?"

"A geth dreadnaught," Tristan answered simply.

James and Kaidan exchanged a look.

"You're kidding…right?" Kaidan asked hopefully.

"Afraid not."

James grinned. "You're pretty excited about this mission, aren't you?"

She smiled at that. "You have no idea. How many people can say they assaulted a geth dreadnaught with a five man squad?"

"Who's the fifth?" Kaidan asked with a look that said he thought she was nuts.

"Tali'Zorah," Tristan answered.

Kaidan seemed to cheer up at that and they all headed off in different directions to get ready. Tristan tied her hair up in a bun and put her helmet on. Then she made the decision to bring all of her weapons with, including her sniper rifle since they had no idea what to expect, besides a whole lot of geth. She also experimentally flared her biotics and then relaxed. It was a test to see if she had recovered from whatever happened. When she didn't feel anything was wrong, she decided she was good to go and headed up to the airlock. Apparently, she was the last to arrive and was just in time to see an awkward situation develop between Tali and James. She had no idea what happened but she was still amused. James always thought he was so smooth so to see something backfire was rare.

"Now that we're all here," Shepard said. "The plan is to find the device broadcasting the signal and shut it down once we're aboard. Tali is our geth expert so she'll be handling hacking and security. Any questions?" Then Shepard looked in Tristan's direction and she decided to correct herself. "Any questions relevant to the mission, I mean."

When no one had any questions, EDI's voice filled the silence.

_::Shepard, there is a problem.::_

"Of course there is," Tristan murmured. "And we were off to such a great start."

"Tristan?" Shepard asked delicately.

"Yes?"

"Do shut up," Shepard advised but they could all tell she was joking. "What's the problem, EDI?"

_::All tubes except one are fully secured.::_

"_I see the free one but it's pretty torn up,"_ Joker interjected.

"It's too risky for the whole team," Shepard said. "I'll secure the docking area. Everyone else can follow me over."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kaidan asked. "Couldn't we send Tristan?"

"I'm actually not opposed to that suggestion, Alenko," Tristan replied.

Shepard paused. "Since when do you two agree with each other?"

"We had a bonding moment," Tristan joked.

Shepard shook her head. "I don't know why I expected a serious answer. I'm going."

"_Roger that, Commander,"_ Joker responded. _"We'll just stay here – you know – quietly."_

"If you, you know, float away, can I have your fish tank?" Tristan asked.

Shepard paused mid-step, considered answering the question and then continued on her way, apparently deciding the question was not worth an answer. They mostly waited in silence with brief conversation here and there and the occasional check up to make sure Shepard had not actually floated away. As Shepard reached the dreadnaught, the tube broke away so now they were waiting for her to find another way in, with help from Tali. Tristan was secretly pleased she didn't have to go in first because zero gravity situations usually made her feel sick, not that she ever admitted it out loud.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't a Geth help you defeat the Collectors?" Tristan asked. She could tell Kaidan and James were looking at her like they hoped she was joking, even through their helmet visors.

"Legion," Tali answered with a stiff nod. "But we haven't had contact with him since the Collector Base was destroyed."

Tristan frowned at that. "So you start a war anyway?"

"It wasn't my idea but public disagreement between admirals would cause chaos," Tali replied irritably.

Tristan guessed she hit a nerve so she kept quiet to avoid causing more problems even though that seemed like a poor reason to go along with a war that could wipe out her entire people. A few more minutes passed in awkward silence until Shepard finally located another airlock and overrode the security protocols. They followed Tali across and entered the dreadnaught. Shepard and Kaidan shared a cheesy romantic moment, causing Tristan and James to exchange a look and then double over in silent laughter. This was one of the reasons why Tristan liked James so much: he found a lot of the same stuff hilarious and there were no expectations to be 'romantic' which was a good thing in Tristan's opinion.

Tali had gone over to a nearby terminal so they could move deeper into the dreadnaught and James and Tristan slowly got over their amusement. Standing inside the dreadnaught was creepy. Everything was the same colour – a dull metallic silver – with nothing to break it apart: no windows, no decorative paintings, no coloured lights. Even the doors were the same colour. The geth really needed some interior design tips. So what if they didn't need oxygen? Would a decorative plastic plant in the corner be too much to ask for? Tristan could picture them getting horribly lost in here in record time.

Once Tali got the door opened and shared a shiny new gun with Shepard, they headed down the corridor.

"Where are we going?" Shepard asked.

Tali didn't glance up from the next terminal when she answered. "We're looking for an operations centre. I can disable the Reaper command signal from there."

"Where is the closest operations centre?" Kaidan asked.

Tali managed to open the door. "Past their defence network and through a sensor cluster."

"Any clue where we're going?" Tristan asked in an undertone. Tali's answer was not exactly easy to follow.

"Not a clue," James answered.

"So…follow Shepard?" Kaidan suggested, just as quietly.

Tristan nodded her head once. "Solid plan." She really did not want to get lost here but if they did, they could at least blame Shepard.

They pushed forward through the dreadnaught with Shepard and Tali discussing their last adventure on the Collector Base and something about being set on fire. There wasn't time to ask for more details because they were spotted by a Geth patrol. There were only two so Tristan sent a Warp at one and Kaidan Threw the other one over the railings. Unfortunately, dealing with geth was never that easy. Their position was soon swarmed with more geth and they were forced to seek out cover and return fire. Tali also showed a neat trick when she hacked one of the geth units. Even though it didn't last very long, it did prove effective.

"I don't hear an alarm," Kaidan realised when more geth continued to swarm them.

"They're geth," Tali replied as if that should have explained everything. "They sent alerts to every unit on this ship. We need to get to the operations centre before they box us in."

They continued to fire their weapons and inched forward every time a geth went down. It was slow going at first but they were quickly picking up momentum. There was a brief break which allowed them to climb down a ladder but they stumbled on more geth. Tristan decided that with three shotguns and another biotic in the mix, it would be better if she hung back and used her sniper rifle instead. She was also a bit reluctant to push her biotics again because she had no idea what would happen and the last thing she wanted was to pass out on a geth dreadnaught. Once she got used to using her sniper rifle again, they were able to pick up the pace and the geth were being killed a lot faster.

The corridor opened into a room with a few computer terminals and Shepard went over to investigate one.

"This signal is affecting all geth processes," Shepard commented.

Tristan paused. "So, what you're saying is that the Reapers have complete control over the geth?"

"Pretty much," Shepard answered.

"Fantastic," Tristan muttered sarcastically.

EDI's voice then came over the radio, apparently having been able to get a look at the data courtesy of Shepard. _"It's structure is amazingly complex. It is unsurprising that the quarians have been unable to disrupt it."_

That did not bode well. If it was as complex as EDI thought, would they stand a chance of disrupting it? Tristan pushed the thought aside. When all else fails, explosives were usually a pretty good Plan B. They headed into the next room and came across even more terminals. Tristan was very cautious to not press a button. She had no idea what they did and she really didn't plan on finding out. They approached the next door when Tali stepped forward.

"The operations centre is just ahead," Tali explained and went to work trying to open it.

"Good," Shepard replied. "Let's stop that signal and get the fleet out of here."

"Anyone else think this is a bit _too_ easy?" Tristan asked no one in particular.

"I really hope you didn't just jinx us, Tristan," James replied.

She was tempted to stick her tongue out at him but then remembered he wouldn't see it with her helmet still on. The doors opened and revealed a circular room…full of hunter geth that immediately disappeared with a tactical cloak the moment the squad was spotted. All members of the squad looked at Tristan the moment they found safe cover.

She sighed. "I know, I know. I totally jinxed it."

The squad spread out in a line behind their cover and alternated between taking out the geth troopers and searching for the stealthy geth hunters. Tristan picked it up quite easily and used her sniper rifle to wound them so the tactical cloak was cut off, giving the other squad members a chance to kill them while she searched for the other hunters. Kaidan killed the last geth hunter but they waited silently to make sure there weren't any more lingering somewhere. As soon as they were sure the room was secure, Tali and Shepard approached the terminal in the centre of the room while James, Kaidan and Tristan spread out to make sure they weren't ambushed by geth.

Tali started working on the terminal and then hit it in frustration. "Dammit! They've locked down the Reaper signal. We can't shut it down from here."

Once again, they all looked at Tristan and she shrugged. "Next time I'll just keep my thoughts to myself."

"I would believe you if I didn't think that was impossible," Shepard replied.

Tristan was about to argue and then realised arguing would just prove Shepard's point so instead, she focused on examining her sniper rifle for any damage just so it looked like she was doing something productive.

Tali was still typing furiously. "There!" she said at last. "The Reaper signal is coming from the drive core."

"So, if we can get there, we can shut it down?" Shepard asked.

"Yes," Tali answered. "But how can we get there? The geth are sealing the emergency bulkheads to block us. We need a route to the drive core that can't be blocked, a path that runs the length of the ship."

Tristan suddenly didn't like where this was going.

"What about the main battery?" Shepard suggested. "It runs right by the drive core."

"That could work," Tali agreed.

"I sense a 'but' coming," Tristan said.

"The geth still have us locked in here," Tali responded. "We need to get these doors open."

"We could stick grenades on the door and blow it to bits?" Tristan suggested. "Shepard has sticky grenades and James has frag grenades. Might be enough firepower."

Tali looked up from her omni-tool. "Is she being serious?"

Shepard shrugged. "I don't even think she knows if she's being serious." Kaidan and James both chuckled in amusement.

Tristan wanted to be offended when another idea came to her. "Or Alenko and I can use our biotics and force them open." She tapped her helmet where her chin would be thoughtfully. "Y'know, I'm actually curious if that would work."

Shepard face-palmed….or helmet-palmed. "Of course you would be." Then she looked over to Tali. "Please tell me if you have an actual plan before Tristan decides to experiment."

Tali focused on her omni-tool again. "They've locked high level processes. We need something basic… a ship wide emergency, like a fire."

"Or an explosion?" Tristan asked hopefully.

"Dial back the excitement, Tristan," Shepard answered. "We're not talking about a real fire, just tricking the system into thinking there is one."

Tristan deflated. "You sure know how to take the fun out of high risk missions."

Shepard ignored her and turned to talk to Tali. "What about the heat diffusion systems?"

"Wait," the quarian suddenly ordered. "If I faked a thermal warning, it would open all maintenance tubes for emergency venting."

"Would that get us out of here?" Shepard asked.

"Yes," Tali answered enthusiastically. "I've got it primed. But be ready. I'm reading hostile geth on the other side of the doors."

With a quick hand signal, Shepard ordered her squad to take defensive positions. Everyone ducked down behind various pieces of equipment and Tristan readied her sniper rifle. Kaidan and James nodded to indicate they were ready as well. Shepard got in position and then she signalled Tali. The doors opened and geth swarmed into the room and even more dropped down from the ceiling. Tristan was forced to alternate between her sniper rifle for distant kills and using her biotics when geth got too close for comfort. There was a lot of chaos as geth were biotically thrown around the room, blasted with shotguns and occasionally hacked by Tali.

Once the room was clear, they headed towards the main battery. It would be nice if the geth just gave up and stopped sending reinforcements but there was a better chance of getting a hug from a Krogan. Even without the reinforcements to worry about, they also couldn't afford to waste any time because the longer they took getting rid of the Reaper signal, the more quarians died in the battle outside. They were making good progress through the ship, going down ladders and having quiet conversations to pass the time. The geth already knew they were on the ship so there wasn't much point to being quiet about it. The conversation had been mostly light hearted until Tali swore.

"Is something wrong?" Shepard asked, despite the fact the answer seemed pretty obvious.

"I just received a priority message. A planetary defence cannon just took down Admiral Koris' ship," Tali explained angrily.

"Admiral Koris? The other admiral who argued against the war with the geth?" Tristan asked.

"That's him," Tali replied.

"What about survivors?" Shepard asked.

"They got to the escape pods and Admiral Raan is trying to establish a secure link," Tali answered but she didn't sound very optimistic.

"Put her through," Shepard ordered.

It was a brief discussion where Admiral Raan mentioned the Heavy Fleet was collapsing. Shepard responded by promising to have the signal down soon. After that harsh reminder that time was not on their side, there was no more light hearted banter or conversation. It was time to focus on getting the mission done as soon as possible. They arrived in the main battery shortly thereafter and soon realised they had to contend with the electrical shockwaves created by the dreadnaught's big ass gun which could only be avoided by ducking behind cover. This was going to require concentration and timing. And just to make matters even more difficult, the geth decided to attack them. Wonderful.

Progress was slow until Tali managed to find and activate the maintenance locks for the main gun, effectively shutting it down and giving them time to run to the core and come out on the other side. They were about halfway down when the locks started to deactivate but they managed to get through…just. Once they were on the other side, they had more geth and shockwaves to deal with. It came as a relief to everyone when they found a platform and Tali activated it. No one knew what would have happened if they got hit by the shockwave but they were all happy that they didn't have to find out the hard way.

Just when Tristan thought things were going well, a pair of geth hit the platform with their rocket launchers. And she jinxed them yet again. The platform wobbled dangerously but everyone aside from Shepard managed to get off before it shuddered again. Shepard over balanced. Tristan looked over to Alenko and he nodded. Without a word, they used their biotics together and pulled Shepard across the small distance. She landed hard on her feet and Tali and James helped her regain her balance. It wasn't perfect but it wasn't half bad for a first attempt. The platform collapsed and fell down the shaft a moment later.

"A little bit of warning would have been nice," Shepard commented breathlessly.

Tristan peered down the shaft. "A thank you would be nice."

"The drive core shouldn't be too far now," Tali interjected.

And so they continued on their way. The novelty of being on a dreadnaught filled with geth was starting to wear thin. Tristan hoped this mission was nearly over. Wearing her helmet was also starting to get annoying, especially because she could hear herself breathe. There was a reason why she preferred doing missions without her helmet and it had nothing to with how it made her voice sound. When they finally reached the drive core, they found what looked like a giant Reaper pod which was crackling with energy. It was definitely the source of the signal. Shepard approached the terminal and the pod separated.

Tristan had no idea what she was expecting – maybe a huge computer terminal or something similar to EDI's terminals spread throughout the _Normandy_ – but one thing she was sure of was that she never would have guessed in a million years that they would have found a geth plugged into the pod. And not just any geth. It was bigger than most of the geth she had crossed paths with and had some wear and tear. Oh…and it was wearing N7 armour. The N programme could have changed its admission requirements but Tristan was pretty sure you still had to be human and not a member of a race of synthetics who had tried for galactic domination just under three years ago.

"Shepard-Commander," the geth said. "Help us."

Kaidan looked towards Shepard. "How does it know your name?"

"And is it wearing your armour?" Tristan asked and tilted her head to the side.

"Legion," Shepard said.

"This is the geth that helped stop the Collectors?" Tristan asked. "Huh."

"You expecting someone taller?" James asked.

"Not really, just someone less… you know… plugged into a dreadnaught."

Shepard was about to release him when Tali stopped her. "The geth are being controlled by a Reaper signal."

"Right. This thing," Shepard replied, indicating the pod.

"So, for all we know, Legion is with them," Tali pointed out. "Maybe it sided with the Reapers voluntarily. Or maybe it's hacked."

Shepard returned to the terminal. "Legion helped us fight the Reapers before. There's no way it would have agreed to this."

"I don't know, Shepard," Tristan added. "This is essentially an unprovoked war. The geth – even Legion – might have asked for help to survive."

"You're trusting a geth?" Kaidan suddenly demanded. "Even after Eden Prime and Ash?"

Shepard looked over at Kaidan, her tone taking on a dangerous note. "Legion is different. We couldn't have defeated the Collectors without it and I trust my crew."

Tristan and James shared a look and silently agreed they weren't going to get involved in this. Kaidan kept promising he trusted Shepard, that he believed she no longer worked with Cerberus yet he was questioning her again. He must have realised how it sounded and stood down.

"Your caution is understandable," Legion said. "Once freed, we will submit to any restraints you deem necessary."

Tristan frowned. "Then wouldn't that defeat the purpose of freeing you? I mean, you're already technically restrained."

"Tristan," Shepard warned tiredly.

"Right. Shutting up now."

"I never thought I'd say this," Tali said to Legion. "But it's good to see you again."

Well, if a quarian was happy to see a geth again, maybe Kaidan would relax a bit.

"Likewise, Creator Zorah," Legion replied.

"What exactly is this thing?" Shepard asked.

"It uses our networking architecture to broadcast the Old Machine command signal to all geth simultaneously."

Tristan looked over to James to see if he understood a word of that but he just shrugged in response. Good to know she wasn't the only one lost.

"Then getting you out of there will shut down the Reaper signal," Shepard assumed.

"Wait," Legion instructed. "You cannot simply remove the restraints. We are secured via hardware blocks nearby that shackle our operating protocols. The hardware blocks are on the far side of the room."

They crossed the room and Shepard did whatever she was supposed to do. Understanding what Legion meant was a lot harder than Tristan had anticipated. Tali let the fleet know the signal was about to go down and Legion was able to free himself from the pod. Legion then deactivated the drive core of the dreadnaught, rendering it defenceless. Tristan wondered how long it would take for the quarians to realise this. The geth then sent reinforcements, including a Prime. The squad had to react quickly to find cover but even the best cover wouldn't solve their Prime problem. That's when Tristan had an idea.

"Shepard, give me one of your grenades," she ordered. "And you too, James."

There was too much interference between the geth and the quarians' orders over the radio to argue or ask what the plan was so they both obliged. Tristan also pulled out one of her biotic grenades and using the sticky component from Shepard's sticky grenade, she managed to get all three grenades stuck together with the frag grenade on top and the biotic grenade in the centre. This way, the frag grenade would hit the surrounding geth, the biotic grenade would knock them all of their feet and finally, the sticky grenade would explode the Prime geth….in theory, anyway.

She then activated her suit's tactical cloak and quickly navigated her way through the chaos. When she reached the Prime, it was too distracted by Kaidan's biotics to notice her. She managed to stick the grenade at the base of its neck so the explosion would cause a lot of damage, enough to kill it. She pulled the pin and ran like hell. As soon as she got behind cover, she warned the others. They ducked down just in time as the grenades exploded. The Prime was decapitated and collapsed to its knees before falling forward. A few geth had been thrown around by the blast from the biotic grenade while others had been wounded by the frag grenade. They were a lot easier to pick off as they struggled to get back up.

"I could totally be a mad scientist," Tristan murmured to herself.

Their victory was short lived as Admiral Gerrel then decided it was time to open fire on the dreadnaught, despite the fact that he was missing an opportunity to get his civilians to safety and the squad was still on board. Well, that answered that question. They circled back around to Legion and once Shepard checked on him, they heard Gerrel's order to open fire. There was a moment where nothing happened and then the whole dreadnaught shook. A few things exploded overhead followed by more shaking. The Reaper pod collapsed and Legion just barely managed to avoid it.

"Shepard-Commander, the creator fleet is firing upon this vessel," Legion said. "Without barriers, this ship will be destroyed. We must evacuate."

"We need to get to the escape pods," Shepard agreed.

"Geth transmit intelligence via remote signal. We do not use escape pods," Legion replied.

Tristan sighed. "Figures."

"Any suggestions?" Shepard asked.

"Geth fighters are docked in the port side fighter bay. We can pilot a fighter to safety," Legion suggested.

"Not a bad idea," Tristan said. "Sounds kind of fun, actually. Much better than an escape pod, anyway."

Without another word, they hurried towards the port docking bay. It was hard to run between explosions and the ship rocking but Tristan was having more fun now than she cared to admit. It was one thing to wander around a ship continuously fighting geth at every turn. It got boring after a while. But escaping a ship that was about to explode? That was another thing entirely. Tristan was enjoying herself too much to be angry at the admirals but she knew Shepard and Hackett would handle the situation. Besides, Black Ops missions usually ended with agents needing to figure their own way out. She was, however, looking forward to getting back onto the _Normandy_.


	25. Rescue Operation

**Sorry this took a while. I lost track of how much time actually passed since the last chapter went up.**

**Thank you for the reviews, favourites and alerts.**

**Chapter 25: Rescue Operation**

Getting back to the _Normandy_ had been quite the interesting experience. It wasn't every day you escaped from an exploding geth dreadnaught inside a geth fighter. It had been a tight fit, getting everyone inside but somehow they managed. Legion was piloting it and Shepard informed Joker where they were so nobody shot them to pieces… again. Once they returned, Shepard walked with Legion and Tali to the War Room, presumably to go demand answers about who decided to open fire while they were still on board. Tristan considered following her up (more for the entertainment value) but decided a geth being in the same room as the quarians during a war was asking for enough trouble without her involvement. On the other hand, it wasn't like things could get any worse.

Rather than going looking for trouble, Tristan headed towards her quarters to change out of her hardsuit. Before she headed out again, she noticed a red light blinking on her computer terminal which usually indicated a message. Well, it was unlikely that she would be needed for anything any time soon so she decided to open it. There were quite a few messages which was surprising since the mission on the dreadnaught hadn't been particularly long. What was even more surprising was the fact that all of the messages were replies to her earlier warnings, courtesy of Major Kirrahe. The more messages she read, the more Tristan was certain she had done the right thing, if only to prevent other agents from taking matters into their own hands.

Other agents had also picked up on their strange orders. They were instructed to keep a close eye on those the Alliance considered allies. The reason given was because the Director was concerned about indoctrination. It was a legitimate concern but those who were being watched hadn't shown any signs or reasons to suspect they were indoctrinated. The agents were feeling restless because they could have been put to better use somewhere else: on Earth gathering information about the Reapers and their tactics; on the Citadel to watch for any more Cerberus sleeper agents or even on Palaven to assist the Turians. There were other assignments they could be doing that wouldn't make them feel like they were wasting their time.

Despite these feelings, they all knew they couldn't disobey a direct order but, following Tristan's initial suggestion, they would keep a low profile and keep an eye on any information coming from the Director. If he ordered an assassination on someone that the agents disagreed about, then they wouldn't follow it. They would also watch each other's backs. It wasn't an ideal situation but it was the best that Tristan could do under the circumstances. Trying to investigate her boss was proving to be difficult, mostly because her attention was needed elsewhere. If she wasn't such an important crew member of the _Normandy_, Tristan would have gone dark and disappeared off the grid weeks ago to better investigate but as things were, she could only try her best and hope it would be enough. Too many lives were at risk to do anything less.

A part of her was relieved that she wasn't just being paranoid. Between Udina's betrayal that led to the Cerberus coup and the knowledge that indoctrination was being used as a weapon on Earth, it was entirely possible that Tristan was reading too much into what could have been a bad day for the Director. Now though, having so many replies from other agents who shared her suspicions, it made her feel more confident. On the other hand, she was leading an investigation into her boss and he didn't have a reputation for handling that kind of insubordination with class and grace. If he found out, she was as good as dead. And agents were looking to her for direction. Tristan never wanted to be a leader yet somehow, she had become one.

Tristan stared at her computer screen for a few moments, trying to decide if she had done enough with what little information she had. Nothing more came to mind so, with a heavy sigh, she left her quarters. James and Steve were having a debate about which was better: the Mako or the M44 Hammerhead. And just like that, her mood was better if only because it was such an ordinary conversation for two boys to have. James was working at his station and Cortez was maintaining the shuttle. Tristan headed over to the Requisitions terminal and started browsing through the options, just for something to do. Shepard came down shortly after and also looked amused by the boys' conversation.

"You sure it's a good idea to leave a geth in a room full of quarians unsupervised?" Tristan asked.

Shepard shrugged. "I can't babysit them all the time and Tali won't let a fight break out."

Tristan wanted to point out that technically, Tali already let a war start because she was more worried about public perception but she chose not to say anything. Shepard and Tali had a lot of history. James walked over and casually leant against one of the terminals. It took all of Tristan's willpower to not smile and act like a giddy schoolgirl who just got her first kiss.

"I know you and Legion have history but are you sure we can trust it?" he asked.

"I'm sure," Shepard answered. "Legion isn't like other geth."

"He's wearing your chest piece, for one," Tristan pointed out innocently and James smiled.

Shepard sighed in annoyance. "Why does everyone keep bringing that up?"

"Because it's weird?" Tristan suggested. "How did he even get it?"

"He won't tell me," Shepard answered and then gave her a confused look. "After how you handled EDI, I thought you would be more suspicious about having Legion on board and somehow, you're the only one who hasn't brought it up. Javik even told me to throw him out the air lock."

"That is his default response for dealing with things he doesn't like," Tristan replied. "He threatened to throw Joker out the airlock too."

"Well, Joker did suggest he call himself Prothy the Prothean," James said with an amused grin.

Tristan was also very amused. "That would be hilarious. But to answer your original question, the quarians did open fire with us on the ship while the geth helped us escape alive. After that, I'm more inclined to side with Legion than the quarians who asked for our help and then almost killed us."

"I suppose you do have a point," Shepard remarked. "I actually came to ask you for a favour."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "What sort of favour?"

"Like Tuchanka, we have two time sensitive missions. Legion wants to stop geth fighters from attacking the quarian liveships and one of the quarian admirals was shot down on Rannoch. He's perhaps the only other sane voice, besides Tali."

"You want to do the missions simultaneously, don't you?" Tristan guessed.

Shepard nodded. "Legion wants me specifically to take care of the geth fighters and I don't know how long that will take."

"And you don't want to increase the chances that the geth will find this admiral." Tristan considered it for a moment. "I'm assuming Tali will be coming then."

"Probably," Shepard agreed. "I'm going to take EDI with as back up so you'll have the pick of the crew."

Tristan watched Shepard head back to the elevator. So much for not being a leader.

"I'll go get my gear ready," James said.

Tristan looked at him with a smile. "And who says you're coming?"

James closed the distance between them with a grin. "We both know you can't stay away from me, Ace."

Tristan pretended to seriously think about it. "I suppose you can come with."

As James kissed her, Steve groaned. "You two need to get a room," he called out but his teasing tone was obvious.

"Mind your own business, Estaban," James shouted back and Steve laughed in response.

It was a short while later that Tristan was getting changed into her hardsuit. She was taking this mission seriously and put a lot of thought into who she was taking. Rannoch would be crawling with geth so Tali would be coming because of her technical skill and not just because she wanted to see Rannoch. It was also why James was coming along and not only because of his powers of persuasion. He was excellent with a gun and that was more useful than biotics. She also decided to bring Garrus with them. He was used to fighting geth and a great sniper would probably come in handy.

For the first time in a while, Tristan was the last one to reach the shuttle. It wasn't surprising to find that Alenko was also there. He must have convinced Shepard that she needed someone else to watch her back instead of a geth platform and an AI designed by Cerberus. Legion was standing nearby and he and Tali were having a discussion. Alenko and Shepard were also talking but Shepard ended the conversation abruptly when she saw Tristan was ready to go. Without a word, they all climbed into the shuttle. Shepard's squad was going to be dropped off first, as per Legion's request. It actually looked quite awkward and Tristan was suddenly very glad she wasn't going on that mission.

Legion made his dramatic exit by falling out the door while the shuttle was still moving. Then she, EDI and Alenko were dropped off nearby in a more normal, boring fashion. Once it was clear they were safe, the shuttle moved on to the second LZ. While they were en route, Tristan received a mission briefing from Admiral Xen and it took a lot of concentration for Tristan to not get sarcastic. Why couldn't Admiral Raan have briefed her instead? Apparently, Admiral Koris had made the decision to sacrifice his ship to take out a ground cannon. It was a brave move but considering how his underlings were handling the possible loss of their admiral, it probably wasn't a smart decision.

As they closed in, it became apparent that Admiral Koris crashed near a geth jamming device. Tristan would be lying if she said she wasn't relieved when the feed from Admiral Xen abruptly cut out, leaving only static. That woman was a piece of work. She was willing to sacrifice the civilians so she could prepare her own research ships for the final invasion of Rannoch. If the invasion happened, they would need every person possible. Research wouldn't be much use in the middle of a battle. Tristan made a mental note to avoid having a face to face conversation with Admiral Xen at all costs.

"Hope the admiral stayed by his escape pod… or at least left a note," James commented.

"That would make a nice change, if things were suddenly easy," Garrus replied.

Tristan didn't say anything. Something didn't feel right. Admiral Koris decided to destroy a ground cannon. It seemed unlikely that the geth would only have one cannon set up. Just as she considered that, the shuttle suddenly shook and Steve started to take evasive manoeuvres. Tristan nearly fell over but she was able to recover quickly and she made her way to the cockpit.

"We're taking fire," Steve informed her.

That seemed pretty obvious but Tristan decided now was not the time to bring that up. She gripped the back of his chair and tried to get a look at the cannons to see what they were up against. Thanks to Steve's piloting skills, they avoided getting hit and after a few more moments, they got some breathing room.

"It looks like the geth have installed anti-aircraft guns beside the jamming tower," Steve added.

Tristan sighed. "The geth just love to make things difficult. We'll take out the guns and you get the fun part."

Steve smiled at that. "I'll have to drop you here then."

The shuttle hovered in place and James and Garrus were the first two out to secure the area. Tali and Tristan followed and the shuttle flew off. Tristan took a moment to gain her bearings. Rannoch looked almost like a desert with hills and outcroppings and sparse plants growing. Tali seemed particularly in awe at having an opportunity to walk on Rannoch's surface. Tristan signalled that it was time to move out and they carefully picked their way on the rocky terrain, passing a beautiful lake. There was something oddly peaceful about Rannoch, about being a planet untouched (compared to Earth or Palaven) and having room to grow.

"Jamming towers, antiaircraft guns, rockets…" James commented. "They must have been building up an army for a while."

"They've had three centuries alone on Rannoch to prepare," Tali pointed out.

"Then I guess we're lucky they aren't all wearing nukes for backpacks," James replied.

"That sounds like it would be one hell of a party," Tristan remarked.

"Sometimes I worry about you," Garrus said.

Tristan paused at the edge of an outcropping looked over her shoulder at Garrus. "Only sometimes?"

As Garrus and James chuckled in amusement, she drew her heavy pistol. It smelt like smoke and the very soft sound of a fire crackling could just be heard. Geth didn't exactly need a fire to keep warm so many this was the crash site of some debris. Tristan made sure the others were ready before she silently rounded the corner. As she suspected, there was some geth ahead and small fires were burning. Tristan didn't really have time to look for the source of the fire as there was a geth with a flamethrower. As if they hadn't been deadly enough before. Rather than try to wear down its heavy armour, Tristan concentrated on hitting the tank on its back. After a few shots, it exploded and took a few of the surrounding geth with it. The last one or two troopers were taken down easily.

They pushed forward and came across more flaming ship debris, only now there were some dead quarians too. It was a civilian ship, hardly prepared for war. Tristan was surprised they weren't finding more bodies. Still, she could tell it made the others upset, especially Tali. Tristan hoped this would teach her that sometimes, she would need to stand up for what was right and not what would look right. Tristan paused long enough to give Tali a chance to show respect for the dead and then indicated the path ahead. She didn't move immediately which seemed to concern James and Garrus.

Before they could ask, she told them "The path ahead is mined."

"First geth flamethrowers, now they're mining areas?" Garrus asked.

"Suddenly, Saren's geth don't look that bad," Tali commented.

"If we try to shoot the mines, the explosions will alert everything that we're coming," Tristan said. "You up for avoiding them?"

The three squad members exchanged a look and then nodded. It was risky and probably not the way Shepard would handle the situation but they were already pushing their luck with Koris as things stood. Tristan carefully picked her way around the mines and the others followed closely. Luckily there were only a few mines to avoid and they managed to do it cleanly. Soon, they found more geth in a valley below them. They ducked behind some rocks and Tristan signalled to Garrus. He was their best sniper and this provided him with a perfect opportunity since the geth didn't know they were there yet.

Garrus was all too happy to oblige and managed to take down three geth in quick succession. Tristan quickly put up a Barrier just in time as another geth fired a rocket at Garrus. Tali and James started to return fire and once Garrus managed to kill the shock trooper, Tristan joined in. Within a few minutes, the area was cleared. They continued to dispatch more geth as they advanced and Tristan realised something. The geth seemed to be hanging around the larger chunks of debris. Maybe they were looking for survivors and executing them? If this was true, Admiral Koris' situation was worse than they first realised. Tristan decided to pick up the pace.

It didn't take long until they found the first AA gun. A lot of geth were protecting it but they didn't last very long. Garrus kept his distance and used his sniper rifle while James and Tali used their shotguns at medium range. Tristan alternated between biotics and using her heavy pistol to draw fire away from Garrus. Once the area was secure, Tristan ordered Tali to reactivate it. The others protected her as geth reacted and tried to take the AA gun back. Tristan made sure she remained close to Tali and put up a Barrier around her whenever the geth tried to take a shot. Once Tali managed to shut the gun down and they had cleared the area of any remaining geth, they pushed forward.

They hadn't covered much ground when Tristan noticed something was amiss. She signalled for the others to hold position. There were dead geth and the only sign of their killer was a blood trail. Tristan knelt down to get a better look. The blood trail was definitely fresh. Cautiously, she followed it and it led her to a seriously injured quarian. Tali pushed past her and went to see if she could help but Tristan knew her injuries. Without an immediate evac – which was impossible with the AA guns still online – he wouldn't make it. Tristan kept a respectable distance but also made sure they couldn't be ambushed by any geth.

"You… you heard my message?" the quarian asked hopefully. "Sent out a distress call…"

"Radios are down," Tristan answered and then glanced at the dead geth. Maybe talking would help keep the quarian's mind off his injuries. "Are you a soldier?"

"Maintenance," he answered and coughed weakly. "Dorn'Hazt. I clean engine parts." He coughed again.

Tristan glanced at Tali. She was still desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "You took down a lot of geth."

The quarian weakly looked at the gun lying nearby. "It was the first time I held a gun." He coughed again and Tali tried to hold him still. "The Civilian Fleet didn't want this war. Maybe…" More coughing. "…Maybe if you find Admiral Koris, he can get the others out alive."

"We will do everything we can to find Admiral Koris," Tristan promised.

The quarian looked at peace with that answer. "And my son, tell him… Tell Jona that his father made it to the homeworld."

With the last of his strength used up, the quarian went limp and Tali cursed angrily even as she continued to try to save him. Tristan looked over to Garrus and he seemed to get her silent message. Tristan hadn't known Tali long enough but Garrus would be able to convince her to move and that she did everything she could to save him. Garrus tried to console Tali and Tristan gave them a few moments by looking for the quickest path that would take them to the AA guns. A part of her was furious. Sure, she had a 'get the mission done at any cost' mentality (though, since meeting James, it wasn't as bad as it had once been) but even she knew involving civilians in war was a terrible idea. Was reclaiming Rannoch really worth the lives of every quarian? Who would be left to rebuild on their homeworld?

Once Tali was refocused on the mission, Tristan led the way towards the remaining AA guns. It was strange seeing the rocky path suddenly give way to a hi-tech compound with paths that forked to the right and to the left. Each fork led to an AA gun. Tristan briefly considered splitting into two teams to get the job done faster. It was practical and meant finding Admiral Koris sooner but it was also riskier. Geth were likely swarming around the last two guns to protect them. They couldn't afford to take unnecessary risks. Tristan knew if her boss could see her now, he would accuse her of going soft. Maybe she was but was that really a bad thing? Besides, this war with the geth was just beginning. They would need every gun they could get.

These thoughts went through Tristan's mind so fast that she didn't even break stride and led the whole squad towards the first AA gun, choosing the path to the right. The geth were set up and apparently had been preparing for their arrival. Turrets had been placed with a clear line of sight of the direction they would have come from. The squad had a few moments to find cover and the two turrets immediately had them pinned down. That was without the other geth – including shock troopers – which complicated the matter. Tristan was suddenly relieved she had chosen not to split up.

"We don't have time for this," Tali commented angrily.

Tristan gave the usually mild mannered quarian a sideways glance. She had a point but there weren't a lot of options right now.

"Those turrets complicate things," Garrus pointed out calmly.

"We take those out and it'll be a walk in the park," Tristan agreed and then looked to James. "James, be a dear and introduce one of your grenades to the geth."

James grinned. "With pleasure."

James threw one of his grenades blindly but somehow managed to get it to land near the geth. Tristan waited until it exploded and activated her tactical cloak. The geth were distracted enough that they wouldn't immediately notice one person was missing. Tristan ran to one turret and attached one of her biotic grenades to it. When she was halfway towards the second turret, the grenade exploded which seemed to alert the geth that something was happening. It also gave Garrus an opening to kill the shock troopers. Tristan reached the second turret without a problem, prepared another grenade and got clear of the explosion.

The moment the turret was down, Garrus, Tali and James opened fire. Tristan continued to run around stealthily and used her knife to kill the geth that were hanging back. The moment the last geth fell, she ended her cloak and looked around. For a plan she didn't entirely think through, it came together nicely. Without waiting for an order, Tali headed straight for the terminal and started to work on shutting the AA gun down. They immediately took positions to protect Tali from the geth that appeared to try to stop them. Tristan realised she enjoyed working with a squad that knew what to do without needing to be told. It made the mission easier and things happened much faster.

The AA gun went offline and they headed to the final gun. Without needing orders, they used similar tactics to deal with these turrets as well and Garrus took down the geth with a flamethrower by exploding its tank which, in turn, killed more geth. Tali went to work on the terminal as soon as the coast was clear, the others protected her and pretty soon, all the guns had been dealt with. Tristan wasted no time in letting Steve know by igniting a flare. The shuttle appeared and hovered in place. After it fired off a few shots, Tristan had to look away as the jamming tower exploded.

"_Dorn? It's Zaal'Koris. Are you there? Dorn!" _a voice suddenly came over the radio, startling Tristan for a moment.

"This is Tristan Chase of the _Normandy_," Tristan replied. "I'm sorry but Dorn didn't make it, Admiral." She was only vaguely aware of the shuttle approaching.

"_He didn't… I see,"_ the Admiral replied quietly.

Tristan signalled for the others to board the shuttle and followed. "I have a shuttle ready. Where are you?"

"_My surviving crew found their way to a clearing. I'll send you their location,"_ the Admiral said.

"Stay together," Tristan ordered. "And we'll meet you there."

"_The geth cut me off,"_ Admiral Koris answered. _"I hear another wave approaching."_

Tristan internally cringed and risked a quick glance at Tali. A decision like this was inevitable during a war: choosing between a group of people and an important leader. "Give us your coordinates," she instructed.

Admiral Koris was apparently offended that Tristan wanted to save him instead of his crew. As odd as it sounded, this just confirmed that he was the right choice. He would be needed to keep casualties to a minimum in this war. _"Leave me. My crew will soon be overrun."_

"So will you," Tristan argued calmly.

"_My people are non-combatants! They'll be slaughtered. Rescue them!"_

"Admiral, you're needed. I've spoken to Xen. She doesn't care about the civilians. You do. We need you to lead the Civilian Fleet if we have any hope of ending this fight," Tristan tried to reason with him. Why were some people so determined to die?

"_Civilians? Our entire race took up arms for this insanity! It's too late for us."_

Tristan was trying her hardest to remain calm but he was really frustrating her. Rousing speeches didn't exactly come naturally. "It will only be too late if you die down there."

"_You can't possibly think you can stop this war,"_ Admiral Koris snapped back.

Tristan didn't answer immediately and suddenly became aware that Tali, James and Garrus were watching the argument with curiosity, probably wondering if she could pull this off. She wondered that too. Trying to convince a man to help save his species wasn't exactly in the mission briefing and she couldn't call Shepard for advice either.

"Honestly, I don't know. We managed to broker an alliance between Turians and Krogan. Anything is possible," she answered. "But, if we are going to have any chance, we need your help."

There were a few moments of silence. Just as Tristan was wondering if she had said the wrong thing, Koris finally answered. _"Ancestors, forgive me. Uploading my coordinates."_

A short while later, everyone was back aboard the _Normandy_. Shepard's mission with Legion was a success and some Geth Primes had agreed to follow Legion. That had been an unexpected outcome. Admiral Koris was upset that he wasn't able to save his crew members but he quickly realised that it was important that he return. He managed to convince the Civilian ships to stay and a lot of the unrest disappeared at his reappearance. He offered Shepard his support. Tristan was hanging around in her quarters, thinking over the discussion with Admiral Koris. It was strange handling that negotiation. Black Ops was usually sent in after negotiations failed or to gather information to make sure it succeeded. They rarely handled the negotiations personally.

Shepard had already received the full report and had agreed that the right decision had been made. Tristan had doubted her decision to save Admiral Koris instead of his crew members because she didn't know if that was the right decision or if it was her Black Ops training – the mission comes first – taking over. With everything that had happened over the past few weeks, she had realised she was terrified of the possibility that she might become the person she was before and she didn't want to fall into old routines. She had finally found someone who accepted her completely and somehow always managed to make her smile. She didn't want to risk losing him. Just as she stepped out of her quarters, she walked into another conversation between James and Steve that helped cheer her up a bit.

"I've got to say, I really enjoyed that mission on Rannoch," Steve said to Shepard.

"Pit him against a defenceless jamming tower and Estaban here feels like a big man," James teased.

"Hey, the Kodiak is a transport, not a fighter," Steve argued. "It's for dropping jarheads like you into hot zones! And if you stow the attitude, it might even be for picking you up again."

Tristan didn't know if James' silence was because he was worried that Steve wouldn't pick him up again or if he was quietly laughing too much to reply. Either way, Shepard walked over to Tristan and she looked pretty amused too. It disappeared when Tristan asked if they could talk – it was never a good sign when Tristan was serious, after all – and they headed back into her quarters.

"What's on your mind?" Shepard asked.

"Tali," Tristan answered simply. "I'm not sure she's fit to be an admiral."

Shepard looked surprised yet defensive at the same time. She obviously didn't like anyone – not even Tristan – saying a bad thing about the quarian. "If this is because the quarians opened fire while we were still on the dreadnaught…"

"Nadine, give me some credit," Tristan cut in impatiently. "I'm not that petty."

Shepard did not look entirely convinced. "What concerns you?"

"Tali is too preoccupied with the fact that she's only an admiral because it was her father's seat," Tristan explained. "I don't know how accurate that is and I'm not an expert on quarian society but she's too worried about where that power came from to actually use that power. She didn't argue against starting this war with the geth because she was worried about appearances even though she knows it was a bad idea. She isn't standing up for herself and she's willing to let the others make decisions that will affect every quarian because she's scared. If she really wants to make a difference, you need to talk to her."

Shepard was quiet for a long moment. Perhaps Tristan had crossed a line but, to be fair, that was something she did quite often. Tali didn't respect Tristan enough to have this sort of discussion and Tristan wasn't much for leading either. It had to come from Shepard if it was going to mean anything.

"You have a point," Shepard finally admitted. "I'll talk to her."

Tristan decided that was that and let the matter drop. "So… you joined the geth consensus. Did Alenko have a heart attack?"

Shepard snorted in amusement. "I'm more worried about Joker's reaction."

"How so?" Tristan asked with a raised eyebrow. Of all the reactions to worry about, Joker's seemed pretty far down the list since he didn't even leave the ship.

"He asked me how do I know this is real and not a simulation," Shepard explained. "How can I be sure I really got out?"

"That's a reasonable concern," Tristan replied thoughtfully.

Shepard groaned. "Not you too. It's messing with my brain enough without your input."

Tristan smirked for a moment. "How are you really doing?"

"Tired," Shepard answered honestly. "The Reapers were bad enough without a geth-quarian war to deal with. And I don't even know how that's going to end."

"You don't know which side should win," Tristan guessed.

"The geth did take Rannoch from the quarians," Shepard explained. "But the quarians tried to eradicate them and they were just defending themselves. The geth are working with the Reapers but the quarians attacked and forced their hand."

"And you count Tali and Legion as friends," Tristan continued. "Do you have to choose?"

Shepard frowned. "I'm not following."

Tristan shrugged. "Tali, Koris and Raan don't fully support this war and all quarians just want their homeworld. The geth were willing to leave them alone until the quarians attack. Maybe getting rid of the Reaper signal will be enough to give them a common enemy."

Shepard exhaled slowly. "I don't know, Tris. Getting rid of that Reaper signal might not be that straightforward."

_::Pardon the interruption, Shepard, but Admiral Raan wishes to speak with you. She says they have located the Reaper base.::_

"Thanks, EDI."

With that, Shepard left. Tristan stared after her. The attack on Rannoch would likely happen soon and it wasn't clear whose side they were on. The quarians probably assumed Shepard's support, as did Legion. But did it really have to be one or the other? The Reapers had probably anticipated that but if Shepard could somehow get quarians and geth to get along and fight together instead of against each other, maybe they would have a real shot at defeating the Reapers. They already had Turian, Krogan and Salarian (mostly) support. The Leviathans were making a difference. Besides the quarian and geth, only the asari were left. How long would it be until they took the fight back to Earth?


End file.
